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I did my part to help Russia win: Berlusconi

MOSCOW - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Friday he tried to do his part to help his close friend Vladimir Putin win the World Cup hosting rights for Russia.

Berlusconi revealed during talks with President Dmitry Medvedev that he had rooted for Russia’s bid for the 2018 event and was personally delighted that his “strategic ally” had won.

“I have already congratulated the president,” Berlusconi said through a translator in televised remarks.

“I would like added that I also played a role and put some effort into it,” said Berlusconi.

“Our representatives worked to make sure that our voice — our support — was heard. We wanted to convince the friends we have that the most fitting venue (for the World Cup) is this one.

“And here we are. We achieved (the desired) result.”

Putin spearheaded Russia’s campaign for the World Cup in what degenerated into an often ugly battle against main rival England.

The close ties between Berlusconi and Putin were highlighted in a series of critical US diplomatic cables released this week by the WikiLeaks website.

The dispatches suggested that Berlusconi often acted as a “mouthpiece” for Putin at international venues and that the relationship worked to damage the political interests of both the European Union and the United States.

Berlusconi brushed off that criticism as irrelevant.

“We should not be attaching too much importance to these things, but they do irritate,” the Italian prime minister said.