I am particularly glad to be here in Rome today.
President Monti and I had a very useful meeting. We discussed the main issues on the European agenda, in particular in view of the upcoming informal European Council. President Monti also set out the many initiatives his government is carrying out.
Let me stress from the outset that with President Monti there is a very large convergence ofviews on where Europe should focus to overcome this financial crisis and return to a pathof growth.
We are both convinced that financial stability is key, not only for the Eurozone, but for the EU as a whole. This essential goal will not be reached overnight, nor with a quick fix. We have had 13 Summits in the past 2 years, and we have adopted major reforms in our policy framework to deal with the challenges. To overcome this crisis, sustained committed effort will be required into the future.
Click here for full remarks.