Gaddafi to attend G8 summit in Italy

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will attend a G8 summit in Italy in July, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday.

At a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Berlusconi said Gaddafi, as chairman of the African Union, would attend the part of the summit which is due to include African leaders.

Italian diplomats have said Gaddafi could meet U.S. President Barack Obama at the summit, which would be the first meeting between the Libyan leader and a U.S. president.

Berlusconi said China, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and Egypt would join the G8 countries on the second day of the meeting on the Italian island of La Maddalena.

A group of other African countries he did not name, as well as Gaddafi, would attend on the third day.