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

By Silvia Aloisi

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian and U.N. hosts of a U.N. crisis summit on rising food prices on Monday left the presidents of Zimbabwe and Iran off the guest list of a ceremonial dinner for the leaders attending the meeting.

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.