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ROME — Republican John McCain has won the backing of at least one foreign leader, but not because of his experience in international affairs.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi likes McCain because of his age.

Berlusconi, at a news conference in Rome with President Bush, was asked whom he wants to see as the next U.S. president.

“I cannot express any preference with regard to an electoral campaign going on in another country,” Berlusconi began.

“However, I suppose I could express my own personal preference for one of the candidates: the Republican candidate,” Berlusconi said. “And this is for a very selfish reason, and that is that I would no longer be the oldest person at the upcoming (Group of Eight summits) because McCain is a month older than me.”

McCain turns 72 in August and would be the oldest man to become president. Ronald Reagan became president at age 69, but he served as president for eight years and was just a few weeks shy of his 78th birthday when he left office.