Swiss would sign Italy tax treaty if off blacklist

ROME, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Economy Minister Doris Leuthard, visiting Rome on Thursday in the midst of row, said her country was willing to sign a double taxation treaty with Italy but only if it was removed from a blacklist of tax havens.

Italy's conservative government, which has launched a generous tax amnesty for funds held illicitly overseas, issued a list of 36 countries where Italians could pay a one-off fine but keep their money overseas. Switzerland was one of the countries excluded and placed on a blacklist of countries not cooperating.

"Switzerland wants to sign (tax) deals with our most important neighbours. We don't want to be on Italy's black list and that would be a condition," she told reporters. (Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte)