Ciriaco De Mita

Lech Walesa, leader of Solidarity and champion of Poland's new political course, told Italian political leaders today that his country needs investment, rather than aid. "Poland has all the figures to be part of of Europe, but it needs investments, more than aid--investments to create companies and a market," the Polish labor leader told Premier Ciriaco De Mita. In a 35-minute meeting with the premier, Walesa said Solidarity intends to fight economic centralism and work for political, economic and social pluralism.

Libya's unofficial second in command, trying to help his country break out of isolation, Saturday met with Pope John Paul II, who said he includes Col. Moammar Kadafi in his daily prayers. "Every day, I pray for Libya, specifically for President Kadafi," said the pontiff, standing beside Maj. Abdel-Salam Jalloud after they emerged from their 30-minute private meeting. "I bless the Libyan people," John Paul added as he left.

Prime Minister-designate Giulio Andreotti won agreement Friday from five coalition parties to form Italy's 49th post-World War II government. "The party leaders gave a favorable judgment on the program," the veteran Christian Democrat told reporters after a three-hour meeting with his government partners. Socialist leader Bettino Craxi, whose party brought down the old five-party coalition on May 19, told reporters: "After today's meeting we can consider the crisis definitively resolved."

Italtel Spa, the state-owned telecommunications equipment maker, said Tuesday that it selected American Telephone & Telegraph Co. as a partner, virtually ensuring AT&T a role in Italy's huge telephone modernization project. The government is planning to spend more than $25 billion (35 trillion lire) through 1993 on the modernization. AT&T and Italtel have not disclosed details of their partnership.

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Andreotti, a veteran Christian Democrat who was prime minister five times in the 1970s, was asked Monday to form another government. Andreotti, 68, promptly began what promises to become a difficult round of negotiations to form Italy's 46th postwar government.

Socialist Prime Minister Bettino Craxi, Italy's longest-serving postwar leader, will resign next week and pave the way for an orderly turnover to a Christian Democrat under a long-planned agreement to share power, Socialist Party sources said Thursday. The sources said that Craxi will summarize his more than three years in office in a speech to the Italian Senate on Tuesday, then present his formal resignation to President Francesco Cossiga immediately afterward.