Italy's Berlusconi still ill, cancels more meetings

ROME, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi cancelled meetings with two European leaders on Tuesday because of a recurring gastrointestinal ailment, government officials said.

Illness has struck Berlusconi at a bad time, when talks on a new EU constitution are near their climax and the Italian leader faces a packed schedule over the coming week as he leads the difficult negotiations.

He postponed a visit to India last week because of the problem. His office said at the time it was only a "slight" indisposition and have given no further details of the sickness.

Italy holds the rotating European Union presidency and hopes to hammer out a compromise accord on the constitution at a December 12-13 EU summit in Brussels.

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