The major stroke suffered by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will certainly have a negative effect on the Mideast peace process, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said here on Thursday.

Sharon remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit of a Jerusalem hospital after a second operation to halt a brain hemorrhage.

Speaking on a morning radio talk show, Berlusconi observed that Sharon's probable exit from the political stage "complicates Israel's future at a time which could have been historic because Sharon had even won the respect of Palestinians."

Looking at Sharon's political stature, Berlusconi said that "those who understand the situation in Israel know that Sharon's decision to close the (Jewish) settlements and withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza was a courageous decision which was opposed by many in his own party."

"It was a decision which only a true statesman could make. We can now only wait to see what happened. Time will tell whether the person who replaces Sharon will have the charisma to follow the path he set and to convince his own people to make the sacrifices which negotiations with the Palestinians will most certainly demand," the premier added.

Speaking in Naples, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said on Thursday he was "very worried about the stroke which Sharon has suffered on the eve of important events."

The Israeli leader, Ciampi observed had "demonstrated a true commitment to peace."

Sharon suffered a major stroke on Wednesday, which caused extensive cerebral bleeding, and after an initial six-hour operation he was soon back on the operating table for another three hours.

Doctors later said the bleeding had been stopped and that Sharon's vital signs were stable, although his condition remained very serious.

Sharon, 77, suffered a minor stroke on December 18 and had been set to undergo surgery to repair a puncture in the heart linked with the first stroke.