U.S. President George W. Bush and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reaffirmed strong ties between their two countries on Monday. "Relations between Italy and the United States are strong. And the relationship between our countries is important. It's important for our economies. And I'm pleased to know that trade between our countries is vibrant," Bush told reporters in the Oval Office with Berlusconi. "I want to thank Silvio's strong commitment to the freedom of people in Afghanistan and Iraq. I appreciate his strong vision of peace in the Balkans," Bush said. "Italy will always be grateful to the United States for what this country has been doing to free us from totalitarianism in the past century," Berlusconi said at the White House. "And it is for us a reason of pride to be side by side with our American ally in broadening the borders of democracy and freedom in the world and in order to pursue peace, which is something we all aspire to," he said through a translator.
