Now, somewhat unsurprisingly, Italy's prime minister, Romano Prodi, is due to visit Kazakhstan in October.
He also claims that Mr Prodi has shifted leftwards since he was prime minister in 1996-98.
Mr Prodi likes primaries more than Mr Berlusconi because he is more confident of winning.
ECONOMIST: Italy takes a wobbly step towards two-party politics
Former prime ministers Romano Prodi and Massimo D'Alema received 14 and 12 votes respectively.
Mr Prodi isn't the only one who thinks entrenched attitudes could be part of Italy's problem.
Whatever the reason, Romano Prodi, head of the European Commission, is behaving increasingly oddly.
ECONOMIST: The head of the European Commission is losing his cool
Mr Prodi, basking in triumph for bringing Italy into the single European currency, is hardly worried.
At least, Mr Prodi argues, he has injected a bit of stability into the system.
Prodi left Downing Street after Thursday's meeting with Blair without speaking to waiting reporters.
This time, if Mr Prodi cannot find a majority, his government will be out.
Mr Prodi is doubtless correct to point out that such threats are crude and inflexible.
Mr Prodi will have many obstacles to overcome if he is to change things.
This year's speakers include Nokia's Jorma Ollila and Romano Prodi, head of the European Commission.
Mr Prodi, for all the constraints upon him, has given Italy's politics some much-needed stability.
But Mr Prodi did not have the money or the time to build the necessary infrastructure.
And Mr Prodi would be quite happy, say some Roman politics-watchers, to see Mr D'Alema fall.
First came the reminder that Mr Prodi's government is not, after all, absolutely stable.
If that approach makes Mr Prodi unhappy, now is the time for him to say so.
And the commission has been on the defensive, under the shaky leadership of Romano Prodi.
But Mr Prodi has also managed to take credit for what he has not done.
Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister of Mr Prodi's native Italy, is an old and fierce adversary.
ECONOMIST: The head of the European Commission is losing his cool
Mr Prodi predicts that there will have to be a corrective mini-budget next year.
He has now persuaded Italy's prime minister, Romano Prodi, to make him the overall millennium tsar.
What more timely reminder of the cynicism that Mr Prodi will need to dispel?
ECONOMIST: The European Commission: New broom sweeps half-clean | The
On the matter of quality, however, Mr Prodi's group does not look too bad.
ECONOMIST: The European Commission: New broom sweeps half-clean | The
Wily Mr Prodi, with Mr Veltroni beside him, turned out to be no mere puppet.
ECONOMIST: D’Alema and Veltroni, rivals on Italy’s left | The
He has loyally backed Mr Prodi, but eventually wants the top job for himself.
ECONOMIST: D’Alema and Veltroni, rivals on Italy’s left | The
The president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, in effect led the centre-left campaign in Italy.
Given that, Mr Prodi's readiness to trim his planned budget cuts has, not surprisingly, caused concern.
Italy's Romano Prodi, having squeezed Italy into the euro, might be such a man.
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