Former Italian President and Prime Minister Francesco Cossiga, 82, passed away in a Rome hospital early this afternoon. He had been in hospital for a week, suffering heart and respiratory problems.

Cossiga joined the Christian Democrats in 1945 and was first elected to Parliament in 1958. His first appointment was as Under Secretary of State in the Defence Ministry in 1966. He became a minister in the Aldo Moro government in 1974 and was Home Affairs Minister at the time when Moro was kidnapped and killed.

He also served as minister under Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti.

Cossiga was Prime Minister between August 1979 and October 1980 and served as President between 1985 and 1992.

He visited Malta on a number of occasions, the most recent in 2008.

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