Obama is young, handsome and tanned, says Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, offered his own particular form of praise today for America's president-elect Barack Obama, describing him as "young, handsome and tanned.''

Berlusconi, who is known for his regular off-key remarks, subsequently claimed to be joking after he spoke of Obama at a news conference, following talks with the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev.

When asked by a reporter about the future prospect of US-Russian relations, Berlusconi referred to the youth of both leaders - Medvedev, 43, and Obama, 47 - which he said should make it easier for Moscow and Washington to work together.

He then continued: "I told the president that [Obama] has everything needed in order to reach a deal with him: he's young, handsome and tanned."

Later, when he returned to his hotel, Berlusconi said his comment that Obama was "giovane, bello e abbronzato", "was a big compliment," which only "imbeciles" would misinterpret, Italy's state news wire Ansa reported. "If some people don't have a sense of humour, then it's their problem,'' he said.

It is not the first time Berlusconi's descriptions have jarred with the public. When he took over the rotating presidency of the EU in 2003, he likened Martin Schulz, a German member of the European Parliament, to a concentration camp guard.

In the same year, at an event sponsored by the New York Stock Exchange in America, he said people should invest in Italy because the women there are pretty. "We have beautiful ladies and beautiful women, so my suggestion from the bottom of my heart is to try to make investments in Italy,'' he said. "The secretaries are beautiful.''

Berlusconi's comments on Obama were not the only ones raising eyebrows today. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sent a congratulatory message, the first time an Iranian leader has offered his good wishes to an American president-elect since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Ahmadinejad is said to have congratulated Obama on "attracting the majority of voters in the election'', according to a report by the official IRNA news agency. He went on to say he hoped Obama would "use the opportunity to serve the (American) people and leave a good name'' during his term.

While Iran and the US have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1979, Ahmadinejad did send President Bush a slightly less succinct offering two years ago: an 18-page letter containing his views and questions on religion, history and international relations.