WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- US President George W. Bush andvisiting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stressed on Monday that the US-Italy relations were strong, but the two leaders avoided public discussion of Italy's plan to withdraw its troops from Iraq.

    "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 at the White House with Berlusconi at his side.

    The Italian leader meanwhile stressed that "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."

    "And it is for us a reason of pride to be side by side with ourAmerican 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 added.

    The meeting came after Berlusconi created a stir earlier by saying he had warned the United States against invading Iraq.

    In an interview broadcast on Italian private TV channel La7, which were released on Saturday, Berlusconi said: "I was never convinced that war was the best way to make a country democratic and to bring it out of a bloody dictatorship."

    "I tried many times to convince the American president not to wage war... I tried to find other ways and solutions," he added.

    The interview surprised some political observers and members ofthe opposition in Rome, particularly as it coincided with Berlusconi's Washington visit.

    Critics said Berlusconi was seeking to distance himself from the unpopular war in Iraq ahead of next year's general elections.

    Berlusconi is one of Bush's strongest allies in Europe. Although he did not send troops to join the 2003 Iraqi war, he gave Washington permission to use Italian air space, transport infrastructure and military bases for technical needs and sent Italian forces to Iraq after the fall of Baghdad. Italy now has about 2,900 troops in Iraq after a partial withdrawal of 300 earlier this year. Enditem