Rome - Italian authorities deployed Wednesday some 10,000 soldiers and police in Rome ahead of US President George W Bush's scheduled afternoon arrival in the capital.

The US presidential plane, Air Force One, was scheduled to arrive at Rome's Ciampino military airport at around 1400 GMT on a flight from Germany.

Bush's visit includes meetings with Italian leaders on Thursday and with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on Friday.

First Lady Laura Bush, who is accompanying her husband, is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Rome-based headquarters of the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano is scheduled to receive Bush at the presidential Quirinale Palace on Thursday morning.

Talks between the US president and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi are planned for Thursday afternoon followed by a joint news conference.

On Friday, Bush is scheduled to meet Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City before departing for Paris.

The US president's visit to Rome is part of a European trip including Slovenia, Germany, Italy, France, Britain and Northern Ireland. (dpa)