ASSOCIATED PRESS: ROME — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the courage of Iranian protesters on Tuesday and called the Tehran authorities the greatest threat to peace.
During his first European visit since being elected, Netanyahu also said he briefed Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi on his peace plan, which calls for a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Berlusconi endorsed the plan, saying a demilitarized Palestinian state was "absolutely necessary." But he urged Netanyahu to send "significant signals" to stop construction of settlements, which he called an obstacle to peace.
Both leaders stressed their warm bilateral ties, with Netanyahu calling Berlusconi a "great friend" of Israel.
Italy is perhaps Israel's greatest ally in Europe, but at the same time is Iran's No. 1 European trading partner, accounting for some 26 percent of total import-export trade between EU countries and Tehran.
Last year alone, Italian imports from Iran amounted to euro4.1 billion ($5.73 billion) and Italian exports amounted to euro1.8 billion, according to the Italy-Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Berlusconi said Tuesday that Italy's economic ties to Tehran had always had the blessing of Israel and the United States, and would continue as long as Washington approved. >>> Steve Weizman | Tuesday, June 23, 2009
