Italy says partners happy to move G8 to quake zone

Fri Apr 24, 2009 5:20pm BST

ROME, April 24 (Reuters) - Italy's G8 partners have welcomed Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's decision to move July's summit from the Mediterranean island of La Maddalena to the earthquake-hit city of L'Aquila, an Italian official said on Friday.

"The international community has responded well ... our partners have confidence in us and it is well-placed," Giampiero Massolo, the general secretary of the Foreign Ministry who has a key role in preparing the summit, told Reuters.

Berlusconi made the surprise announcement on Thursday, saying the change of venue would save money and show solidarity with the people of L'Aquila, where 296 people were killed on April 6 in Italy's worst natural disaster in three decades. (Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Kevin Liffey)



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