Italy agrees to take 3 inmates

WASHINGTON: Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi sought to restore some shine to his tattered international image, agreeing to take three detainees from Guantanamo Bay and praising President Barack Obama as a steady leader.

The two leaders and members of their staffs talked on Monday for more than two hours.

Speaking at the end of the Oval Office meeting, Obama praised Berlusconi and said he was "extremely grateful for his friendship". In turn, the 72-year-old Berlusconi lauded the young US president "for his deep knowledge and precision and accuracy with which he discusses all of the issues".