Anniversary of war's end in Europe marked by Italy and US

Italian and US officials joined veterans at a cemetery near Rome today to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, even as the two countries remained split over the killing of an Italian agent in Iraq two months ago.

During a ceremony at the US military cemetery of Nettuno, officials and veterans laid wreaths and made speeches to pay tribute to almost 20,000 Americans who died during the Allied liberation of Italy.

The ceremony came on the same day that Italy was due to publish a report on the shooting of agent Nicola Calipari at a US checkpoint in Iraq, an incident that has soured relations between the two long-standing allies.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pierferdinando Casini, speaker of Italy’s lower house of parliament, said the Italian government’s conclusions were made “in the name of truth, clarity and reciprocal loyalty”.

“Only in this way will we really fully honour martyrs of liberty,” he said.

Italy decided to release its own report after a joint investigation into the incident failed to agree on the circumstances surrounding the March 4 killing. Rome refused to sign off on a report published by the US on Saturday that cleared US soldiers of any wrongdoing in the shooting.

Defence Minister Antonio Martino and US Ambassador Mel Sembler, who both spoke at the ceremony, denied the split would damage Italy-US relations, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The ceremony was attended by Second World War veterans from Italy and the US, and representatives of the allies who fought alongside US troops in Italy.