Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi had a long telephone conversation Monday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the subject of Iraq and its future.

A statement from the Italian premier's office said Berlusconi's conversation with Blair had been "in preparation for the Belfast meeting."

"At the moment the main concern is to close military operations positively," Berlusconi said. "The role of the UN is something which will be talked about soon."

He said he was scheduled to speak later Monday with US President George W. Bush.

Blair and Bush were to meet in Belfast this evening to discuss the role of the United Nations in Iraq after the end of the war.

Berlusconi and Blair are known to want the UN to play a strong role while Bush has until recently envisaged a smaller one.

Differences between the United States and the Europeans on this issue narrowed last week during a visit to Brussels by the US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Italian diplomats said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2003)