MOSCOW — A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin says Putin and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi spent the weekend together at a vacation home in Siberia.

Berlusconi, known to be a close friend of Putin’s, has previously hosted Putin’s family at his villa on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Earlier this year, Berlusconi, 78, was acquitted of charges he paid an underage prostitute for sex and used his influence to cover it up.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted Monday by Russian news agencies as saying Putin, 62, has not had a summer vacation yet but confirmed he and Berlusconi spent the weekend in the Altai region at a vacation compound owned by the gas giant Gazprom.

Berlusconi and Putin met briefly in Rome when Putin was visiting this month.