ANSA: Strong, coordinated EU response needed Conte says after meeting Merkel

ROME. KAZINFORM Premier Giuseppe Conte told a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Monday ton EU Recovery Fund talks that «it is a very difficult negotiation, I have always stressed the difficulty, but I have tried in an ambitious way to represent the common goal of a solid, strong and coordinated EU response».

Conte said the EU should offer «solutions, not illusions and fears», ANSA reports.

Merkel said she thought there would be an agreement after an EU summit on Thursday and Friday even though positions were «in part diovergent» at the moment.

Merkel on Monday welcomed Conte to Meseberg Castle in Germany where the two leaders conferred on the proposed European Union coronavirus Recovery Fund ahead of the EU summit on the issue in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

The leaders talked for about an hour.

Merkel and Conte will have a working dinner Monday evening.

The European Commission has proposed a 750 billion euro Recovery Fund, more of it coming in grants than loans.

'Frugal' northern European countries want a lower total and more loans than grants.

Conte has enlisted the support of southern European countries in pushing for the original format, and a deal by the end of this month.

The countries who are against the format say there is no hurry to get a deal.

Germany is duty chair of the EU.

It is trying to negotiate a deal between the two groups of countries.