President George W. Bush held talks yesterday at the White House here, with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on European, Middle Eastern, global, and economic issues. President Bush called the Italian premier "a close personal friend" and said he sought Berlusconi's advice on repairing U.S. ties with Europe, which have been strained by differences over Iraq. The president thanked the prime minister for Italian support in Afghanistan and Iraq. Berlusconi said his government has supported U.S. policies because "we share the same values. We appreciate strongly the fact that America has taken on the responsibility of defending and spreading peace and democracy all over the world. We appreciate the fact that the United States does that with sacrifices and a lot of suffering," he said. Much of their post-meeting press conference addressed the weakness of the U.S. dollar against the euro. But both leaders expressed confidence about resolving the bitter differences between the Palestinians and Israel. "I think there's a very good chance that we can achieve that peace. I look forward to working toward that end," Bush told reporters. Berlusconi also was optimistic, saying "we agreed on the fact that it is now the appropriate time to solve the Middle East issue."
