Bush thanks Italy for military support

ROME, June 12 (UPI) -- Iran, Iraq and other hot spots topped discussions between U.S. President George Bush and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Thursday in Rome.

"We did have a wideranging discussion," Bush said during a news conference. "I appreciate very much the fact that Italy is meeting international obligations."

Bush noted that U.S. citizens probably didn't realize how many Italian troops were deployed around the world, including 8,700 troops in areas such as Kosovo and Chad.

"We talked about Iraq, how Iraq is changing for the better, how people are beginning to realize the blessings of a free and peaceful society," Bush said, noting Italy has "very helpful to the NATO mission there of training as well."

The two also discussed climate change, using diplomacy to address Iran's nuclear desires and Afghanistan.

Berlusconi said he and Bush "are both fully convinced that it is only through a real democracy that we can have true freedom, and it is only through freedom that individuals can tap their potentials fully."

During a question-and -answer session, Berlusconi said he had a "very selfish reason" for his personal preference for Bush's successor.

"I suppose I could express my own personal preference for one of the candidates, the Republican candidate, and this is for a very selfish reason, and that is that I would no longer be the oldest person at the upcoming G8 (summit)," he said, "because (John) McCain is a month older than me."