- Title: German and Italian leaders offer condolences for earthquake hit Italian region
- Date: 18th January 2017
- Summary: MERKEL AND GENTILONI GOING INTO CHANCELLORY MERKEL AND GENTILONI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, PAOLO GENTILONI, SAYING: "Today's meeting is again taking place at a very complex moment for our country, a difficult day. Our thoughts are with those who had to endure an earthquake again. This morning there was another strong earthquake in central Italy. Fortunately there are no reports of human deaths so far. But the fact that these earthquakes continue to happen is quite alarming for the people in the area who had to live through so many quakes already. It is also something that affects the government because we need to take care about those people. I spoke to civil defence and the defence minister. The army needs to help as much as possible in the area." PHOTOGRAPHER GENTILONI AND MERKEL DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "Of course our thoughts today are with those who were shaken by another earthquake. It is always the same region. We offered our help and solidarity already after the last earthquake in connection with a hospital in Amatrice. But I can imagine how horrible this must be. So if Italy needs support and help we will be at the side of Italy." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, PAOLO GENTILONI, SAYING: "In these turbulent times we must not show that we are not in control. We are at the helm. We are taking care of the European Union. It must not become a something like a system of alternating currents where it reacts to fiscal numbers and the budget but does not do anything about immigration." CAMERAMEN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "We have massive problems in the European Union. Germany took in a lot of migrants, you know that. Italy as well. But we have not reached a sustainable solution for this. Unfortunately not all European countries take the same amount of responsibility. We need to approach this from a European perspective, all with the same insistence." JOURNALISTS LISTENING GENTILONI AND MERKEL SHAKING HANDS AND WALKING OFF
- Embargoed: 1st February 2017 14:25
- Keywords: Italy Gentiloni Merkel earthquake migrants
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0035ZLZLFR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday (January 18) that Britain had finally made clear how it planned to pursue its exit from the European Union and he was sure a deal could be reached between the two sides. But he urged members of the European Union to show more unity.
A speech delivered by British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday "gave meaning to what had been just a headline: 'Brexit is Brexit'", Gentiloni said at a news conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"In these turbulent times we must not show that we are not in control. We are at the helm. We are taking care of the European Union. It must not become a something like a system of alternating currents where it reacts to fiscal numbers and the budget but does not do anything about immigration," Gentiloni said.
Merkel and Gentiloni also expressed their solidarity with Italy after a series of strong earthquakes hit the country again on Thursday, unnerving residents shaken by last year's deadly tremors and forcing the closure of hundreds of schools as well as rail links and even Rome's underground railway. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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