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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8131
THE DAY IN POLITICS / (eu) eu/italy/germany

According to Berlusconi, Italy and Germany share same vision of Europe

Rome, 17/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - At the end of three-hours of talks on Wednesday with the head of German diplomacy, Joschka Fischer, the President of the Italian Council, Silvio Berlusconi told the press that Italy and Germany shared the same vision of Europe and would unify their efforts to ensure the success of EU enlargement eastwards. "This co-operation will produce great support for a Europe of the future," he stressed. The resignation of Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero led to the expression of a certain number of fears as to the European commitment of the Italian Government. Fischler had then regretted the decision of the most Europhile of ministers on the peninsula. Wednesday, he assured that relations between Rome and Berlin would remain warm, stating that he was happy to be in the Italian capital and have had an exchange of views with the "prime minister and my new colleague, Foreign Minister Silvio Berlusconi". The latter declared that the Fifteen nations had rapidly to draw up the framework needed to absorb another 10 members. He also hoped for the emergence of a Europe with its own military force to ensure internal security and to intervene in the world as peacekeeping force. A Europe that collaborates with the United States, but will rival it economically, is what he said in substance.

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