Italian foreign ministry summons Russian envoy

Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov was summoned to the Italian Foreign Ministry, where the ministry's secretary general, Ettore Sequi, rejected the statements of the Russian Foreign Ministry against the Italian media and state institutions.

"Sequi firmly rejected the allegations of immorality against some representatives of the Italian authorities and the media, expressed in recent statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also rejected the insinuations regarding the alleged involvement of the media of our country in the anti-Russian campaign," the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The head of the Russian diplomatic mission was summoned to the foreign ministry on behalf of Minister Luigi Di Maio.

Also, Sequi protested to Razov in connection with Russia's actions in Ukraine, expressing "the hope of the Italian government for a negotiated solution to the conflict on an equal basis with respect for the sovereignty of Ukraine and the principles of international law."