Berlin (dpa) - Germany on Friday backed an Italian denial that Chancellor Angela Merkel asked for the ouster of then-premier Silvio Berlusconi, in an October 20 telephone call to Italy′s president

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano′s office issued a statement denying that account of the call, which was reported by the Wall Street Journal.

"Nothing more can be added to the accurate account of the conversation by the office of the Italian president," said a government spokeswoman in Berlin. dpa jbp ar