British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Italy at the weekend for a week-long holiday and meeting with the pope.

Blair and Pope Benedict XVI are expected to talk on troop withdrawals from Iraq with the new centre-left Government of Romano Prodi, and discuss the reconciliation of the Christian and Muslim religions in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001.

In addition Blair will offer a formal invitation to the pope to visit Great Britain, who has already been invited by Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster.

If the pope accepts, it would be his first official visit to England, The Times of London reported.