ROME, Dec 25 President of the Council of State and former Foreign Minister Italy's Franco Frattini has died in Rome at the age of 65, according to the newspaper Corriere della Sera.
A lawyer by training, Frattini headed the Foreign Ministry from November 2002 to November 2004 and from May 2008 to November 2011 in governments under the leadership of Silvio Berlusconi. He was also Minister for Public Administration and Vice-President of the European Commission.
Since January this year, Frattini has served as head of the State Council of Italy.
According to the newspaper il Messaggero, Frattini suffered from cancer and died in Rome's Gemelli hospital.