Italian troops will stay in Iraq until democracy has taken hold, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told his US counterpart George W Bush, despite opposition calls for an immediate withdrawal.
Speaking just hours after meeting the US President in Washington, Mr Berlusconi told parliament there was a clear timetable for the transfer of power to Iraqis that would give the United Nations a bigger role in the coming weeks.
A candidate has been identified to head the forthcoming interim government but has not yet agreed to accept the post, he said.
"It is our duty and our honour to stay until the very end with those who are making sacrifices and taking risks to defend the principles of the UN charter," he said.
Italy has some 2,700 troops in Iraq, the third largest foreign contingent after the US and British forces.
But there has been considerable public pressure for a withdrawal which has increased since the death earlier this week of an Italian soldier during a skirmish in southern Iraq.
Centre-left opposition parties have presented a parliamentary motion calling for withdrawal which will be voted on at the end of tonight's debate. Mr Berlusconi has a large parliamentary majority and is expected to defeat the motion with ease.