Italy is to send more military instructors to Iraq, Premier Silvio Berlusconi told his Iraqi counterpart Nuri al-Maliki Thursday night.
''Italy continues to support the stabilisation of Iraq which, thanks to the government led by Nuri al-Malik, is taking giant steps on security and democracy,'' Berlusconi told the Iraqi premier, who is here on a two-day visit.
The fresh batch of police instructors will join the 80 or so Carabinieri already doing the job in the NATO Training Mission Iraq.
Maliki will meet Friday for the first time with Pope Benedict XVI.
Yesterday the Iraqi premier paid his respects to Pope John Paul II by visiting his tomb.
