Brussels, 10/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a press conference at the end of a visit to the European Commission on Wednesday that "we shall have to accelerate the process of re-organising European institutions", and hoped that the Laeken Summit "will kick-start the Convention, which will have a year" to work on it, and that the institutional reforms would then be completed under the Italian Presidency, in the second half of 2003. That way, Europe will be able to arrive at the June 2004 election able to "function" he stated. At the same press conference, Commission President Romano Prodi said that "Italy is alongside" the Commission in wanting to succeed with this project of institutional reform, as well as with the other major projects that are the euro and enlargement. The Italian government will provide "the greatest contribution" possible to these projects, and I confirmed the "continuity of the Italian policy" regarding Europe, "a Europe that has to be a strong political subject", Berlusconi stated. Regarding the euro, he spoke of the information campaign launched in Italy to "minimise the trauma that will occur in each country" with the introduction of the single currency. I am in favour of the EU's enlargement, that "I prefer to call the reconstruction of Europe", he also said.
Asked about the consequences of the terrorist attacks on the economic policy of the Member States of the EU, Mr. Berlusconi said he was certain that "we shall be able to take sound measures together", stressing that "the pact that ties us is a Stability and growth Pact". I see the future with serenity, as there will be no more confrontation "between the Western world and the Communist world", and I hope that "there will be no opposition between the West and the world of Islam", as that would be a "catastrophe", he added. Questioned on three occasions on the statements he is claimed to have made on he "superiority" of Western civilisation over Islam (reported by journalists who had followed his recent trip to Berlin), Mr. Berlusconi, who had at first protested because a "word" had been taken isolated out of context, denied having made the statement. Ask the question of the "leaders of moderate Arab countries, who are my friends", he replied to one journalist. To a second, he launched: "I'm not answering you (…) you are not informed". And the third was put down: "You have to refer to all my speeches, and not to fables. Those are fables…Mr. Andersen". Also questioned on the subject, Romano Prodi simply recalled his stance and that of "28 countries" (EU and candidate countries), which is a stance of a "total respect for all religions".