Rome - Italy has re-opened lines of credit to Argentina, the Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, said yesterday.
He told a news conference Italy had also taken measures to guarantee the return of its nationals from Argentina to Italy. "Argentina, in these days, is suffering a crisis which also gives us pain," Mr Berlusconi said.
"The government has taken measures to re-open the lines of credit and has set up a task force to respond to the needs of our co-nationals who want to return, we hope only temporarily." Italy, he added, had backed Argentina in international forums and financial organisations which "had never considered in any concrete manner providing strong external help to the Argentine economy".