Italy's new government promises less deference to Bush

ROME - Italy will show less deference to the United States now Silvio Berlusconi has lost power, Italy's new centre-left foreign minister said today.

Massimo D'Alema, who is aiming for a swift withdrawal of Italian troops from Iraq, also signalled Italy under Prime Minister Romano Prodi would draw closer to its traditional European allies.

"We are friends of the United States, but less obsequious when it comes to choices we don't believe are just," D'Alema told reporters on a visit to Sicily.

"If the United States wants to have more sincere friends, it needs not to make certain errors," he added.

US relations with Italy have undergone a shift since conservative Berlusconi, one of Bush's closest international allies, lost April's general election to Prodi's centre-left coalition.

Prodi campaigned on platform of withdrawing Italy's 2600 troops sent by Berlusconi to Iraq, and in his first speech to parliament the former EU Commission chief called the Iraq war a "grave error".

D'Alema, who is also deputy prime minister, is due to hold a first meeting on Wednesday on a timeframe for the Iraq pull out.

Government officials have suggested he is seeking a faster withdrawal than that laid out by Berlusconi that sees 1000 troops back by the end of June and the rest by year end.

"The political support Italy will give will not be less but we intend to convert our presence in Iraq from a military one to civilian support," D'Alema confirmed.

The withdrawal from Iraq and Prodi's opposition to the war will remove an obstacle that divided Italy under Berlusconi from its traditional European allies.

Berlusconi steered Italy on an unusually distant course from the European mainstream, from his support of the US-led Iraq war, to his outspoken admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticism of the euro.

D'Alema suggested Italy under Prodi would now draw closer to Europe on other areas of foreign policy from its relations with Israel to its support of a "political-diplomatic" solution to the standoff with Iran over its nuclear programme.

He added Italy would also press for a broader disarmament.

"A politics of nuclear disarmament must be relaunched, one that invites reflection on the part of the great powers, starting with the United States," he said.

His comments were echoed by the new Italian President Giorgio Napolitano who at a separate event said Italy had no future if it did not abandon its scepticism towards Europe.

- REUTERS