Italian campaign nears end

Berlusconi promises international support

ROME, Italy -- Silvio Berlusconi pledged his loyalty to Europe and the United States in the final throes of his election campaign.

In an interview with Reuters he vowed to make Italy "America's biggest ally and friend in Europe" now there was a fellow conservative in the White House.

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He also embraced Europe, promising no major foreign policy changes and saying Italy would continue to believe strongly in NATO and be an enthusiastic member of the European Union.

In the dying days of the election campaign, the policy focus has widened beyond key domestic pledges of tax cuts to focus on the likely foreign policy of the two main blocs.

"I will try to have greater cordial relations with the United States...because it is thanks to that nation and the young lives it sacrificed that we were liberated from Nazi-Fascism," Berlusconi said.

"The fact that today America has for itself a Republican president, President Bush, of a party which belongs to our political family will mean it will be possible to have even better ties than ever," he added.

Berlusconi put particular importance on integrating Europe's military forces to play a larger peacekeeping role both in Europe and worldwide in partnership with NATO.

He stressed that his proposed $32 billion of tax cuts would only be implemented under the right economic conditions and after a drive to stimulate the economy by encouraging investment.

Berlusconi's main challenger, centre-left opponent Francesco Rutelli, has strongly criticized Berlusconi's platform, particularly his drastic proposals to cut taxes.

Political figures across the continent have also questioned how Berlusconi could avoid a conflict of interests if he maintains his vast financial holdings and is victorious on Sunday.

His sprawling empire, worth an estimated 12 billion dollars, includes Italy's three main private TV stations, its largest publisher, a newspaper, a soccer team and a financial services company.

While the last permitted opinion polls gave the centre-right a four-point lead, there are growing opinions that the election could be closer than all predictions, Reuters said.

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