Unrepentant Berlusconi still envious of Obama and Naomi Campbell's 'suntan'

London, Nov 24: Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi seems to be unfazed by the uproar following his comment on the US President-Elect Barack Obama's "suntan", for he reiterated the bizarre remark saying that he was equally "envious" of British supermodel Naomi Campbell's skin colour.

Berlusconi had called America's first black president "young, handsome and also sun-tanned" at a speech during his Moscow visit, triggering international anger and ridicule.

However, he later clarified that his remark was a compliment.

"We would all like to be tanned like Naomi Campbell and Obama," the Telegraph quoted him as saying in a press conference in central Italy He said that he was "a little envious" of Senator Obama for his skin tone, adding that he had a "long, cordial" telephone conversation with the president-elect on November 7.

Berlusconi said that he hoped that Obama's relative youth would herald a new era of cooperation with his Russian counterpart, President Dmitry Medvedev.

His remarks in Moscow created an uproar attracting criticism worldwide.

France's First Lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, said at the time that she was so appalled by Berlusconi's ill-judged comment that she was "happy" to have taken French citizenship.

ANI