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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 05, 2003

Italian PM Reaffirms Support for US on Iraqi Crisis

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reaffirmed a pro-US line on the Iraqi crisis in Rome onTuesday following talks with his Portuguese counterpart Jose' Manuel Durao Barroso.


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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reaffirmed a pro-US line on the Iraqi crisis in Rome onTuesday following talks with his Portuguese counterpart Jose' Manuel Durao Barroso.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Barroso, the centre-right Italian premier said Italy, Portugal, Britain, Spain and four other European Union countries that last week signed an appeal for bloc unity on the issue of Iraq were "close to the US."

The letter was not signed by President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who are the two European leaders most strongly opposed to a possible war on Iraq.

Berlusconi denied on Tuesday that the document had "divided Europe" and stressed relations with Paris and Berlin had not been undermined.

"We have excellent ties with France and Germany and I believe that having different ideas can be useful because debate can lead to a common position against war and terrorism," he said.

Barroso said: "Europe has obligations to the US which through the years has guaranteed us peace, liberty and the absence of totalitarianism."

"I refuse to accept the idea that the US and a despotic regime like that of Iraq can be placed on a level," he said.


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