Middle East leaders attended the state funeral of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella stood next to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim and Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in Milan’s Duomo cathedral.
Mr Berlusconi, who led Forza Italia, was honoured with a state funeral and a day of national mourning, as his legacy was debated among Italians.
Large wreaths in the colours of the Italian flag stood along the front of the Duomo, where the ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Mario Delpini.
“In this moment of farewell and prayer, what can we say about Silvio Berlusconi? He has been a man: a desire for life, a desire for love, a desire for joy,” Archbishop Delpini said. “He is a man and now he meets God.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had her first government experience as a minister in a Berlusconi-led coalition.
Barbara Cacellari, a Forza Italia councilwoman, said: “The person must be respected per se. He is a person who represents the history of this country. No one is without stains, I think.”
He is the longest-serving premier in Italy's postwar history and was re-elected to the Senate last year, but he also courted controversy. He counted President Vladimir Putin among his friends.
Thousands of people outside and inside the Duomo erupted in applause as a sign of respect when Berlusconi’s flower-draped casket was hoisted out of the hearse and into the cathedral.
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The coffin of Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in the Duomo cathedral in Milan. AFP -
The casket is carried outside Duomo Cathedral. AP -
A mourner reacts during the funeral in Milan. Reuters -
The casket is carried up the steps of Duomo Cathedral. AP -
The children of Mr Berlusconi, Eleonora Berlusconi, Pier Silvio Berlusconi and Barbara Berlusconi stand by the hearse. AFP -
Mourners take photos outside the cathedral. AP -
Italian Carabinieri officers salute as the hearse transporting Mr Berlusconi's coffin leaves Villa San Martino. EPA -
People watch the funeral in Milan. Reuters -
People wave flags in Milan. Reuters
Italy's business and political elite, including the president and three former premiers, attended the funeral. His children and companion teared up as the casket was placed in front of the altar.
Most Italians identify Berlusconi, a media mogul, football entrepreneur and three-time former premier, as the most influential figure in Italy over recent decades. But they also remain sharply divided on whether his influence was for the better or worse.
He died aged 86 on Monday in a Milan hospital where he was being treated for chronic leukaemia.
