ROME, Sept 9 (AFP) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is to receive Iraqi President Ghazi Al-Yaouar for talks Friday, officials said on Thursday as Rome sought support in Arab capitals over the kidnapping of two women aid workers in Baghdad.
Berlusconi is to meet Al-Yaouar, who is touring European capitals, for talks likely to focus on economic aid to Iraq but which come against a background of Italian anger at the seizure of the two aid workers in their office on Tuesday.
Junior foreign minister Margherita Boniver left Thursday for Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen and Syria to seek the help of those countries in freeing charity workers Simona Pari and Simona Torretta.
The identity of the kidnappers has still not been determined and no demand has yet been made in exchange for their release.
Al-Yaouoar began his European tour in Berlin on Wednesday and is due to travel on to Rome, Brussels and Warsaw.
His agenda includes the possible cancelling of Iraqi debt, sought by the United States, and European aid for the reconstruction and stabilisation of Iraq.
The issue of Iraqi debt was due to be discussed at the monthly meeting of the Paris Club on Thursday.