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Italian, British PMs Discuss Afghan, Mideast Issues
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his British counterpart Tony Blair met in Genoa, Italy, late Thursday evening for talks on the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan and the Mideast situation.
Berlusconi and Blair agreed on the need for continued military action in Afghanistan to defeat the ruling Taliban regime and capture Osama bin Laden, the accused mastermind behind the September 11 terror attacks, Berlusconi's spokesman Paolo Bonaiuti said after the meeting.
Both leaders said they hope to see a broad-based, democratic government in Afghanistan. The two leaders shared the view that Russia is playing "a major role" in the fight against terrorism and called for "a new relationship" between Moscow and the European Union (EU), and between Moscow and NATO, he added.
Giovanni Castellaneta, Berlusconi's diplomatic advisor, said, "It is necessary to consider Afghanistan's future and the type of government that could lead the country toward new development."
"Europe and the US, together with Russia, have to address the issue of the Afghanistan of tomorrow. Russia's role is considered vital because of its experience in Afghanistan and because it can contribute to a solution on a future government," the advisor said.
On the Middle East issues, the spokesman said, the two leaders agreed that the EU, the U.S. and Russia must do everything possible to get both sides back to the negotiating table and resume the peace process.
"There is no other solution and therefore the EU, the US and Russia must use their political, diplomatic and economic weight to try and find a solution," Bonaiuti said.
The two leaders stressed the need for a "stable solution" for the Palestinians, which also guaranteed the security of Israel, he said.
Blair made a stopover in Genoa on his way home from a Middle East tour aimed at enlisting Arab support for the anti-terror campaign.
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