Mugabe and Ahmadinejad left out of U.N. summit dinner

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is able to take part in the conference only because an EU travel ban on him does not apply to U.N. forums.

And Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on his first visit to Western Europe as Iranian president, made sure of a frosty welcome by offending Israel on the eve of his departure.

Neither was named on the list of guests for the official dinner being given on Tuesday by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the heads of state attending the June 3-5 summit, Italian media reported.

Western ministers said Mugabe was responsible for the food shortages faced by millions in Zimbabwe's shattered economy.

"We will not allow the millions of people who can no longer afford a normal meal to be held hostage by Mugabe," said Dutch Development Minister Bert Koenders.

British International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said 4 million Zimbabweans had to rely on food aid because of Mugabe's policies.

"This is not a man with any credibility or any contribution to a discussion on international food," he said.

The leader of the former British colony arrived in Rome, home of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation, late on Sunday, his first official trip abroad since March elections condemned by Western and opposition leaders as fraudulent.

Ahmadinejad said before setting off for Rome that Israel would soon disappear off the map, and the "satanic power" of the United States would be destroyed.

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