United States President Barack Obama showed ''great leadership'' in launching an unprecedented video appeal to Iran, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Friday.
''Without Iran it is difficult to stabilise the region,'' Frattini said, referring to Italian and US efforts to involve Iran in the stabilisation of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He recalled that Italy, as Group of Eight duty president, had invited Iran to a conference on the issue in Trieste at the end of May.
''If we don't involve all the neighbouring countries we won't be able to win this battle in Afghanistan,'' he said.
In his appeal, Obama asked the Iranian people and leadership to put aside 30 years of differences, offering ''a new start'' in relations.
Initial reactions from Tehran were positive, although the Iranian authorities asked Washington to ''recognise its past mistakes''.
