After shying away from an opera rendezvous, Italian Prime Minister Mr Silvio Berlusconi (left) met German Chancellor Mr Gerhard Schröder on Saturday for the first time since his Nazi jibe caused a diplomatic furore.
He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr Schröder in Verona and both played down the summer spat, and Mr Berlusconi's no-show at the opera on Friday.
"I don't think we can talk about an improvement [in relations] because there was never a worsening," Mr Berlusconi told reporters after their brief meeting.
Mr Schröder also said the case was closed. - (Reuters)