BERLIN (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Thursday that he saw no reason to speculate about the stability of Italian banks and that if a solution to their liquidity problems was needed it could be found within EU rules.
Speaking during a joint news conference with U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Schaeuble said that the results of stress tests conducted by the European Central Bank should be published before any further discussion on the state of Italian banks.
"If a need for action arises in connection with Italian banks, it will be solved within European rules," Schaeuble said.
Italy has been in talks with the EU to provide state aid to its troubled bank sector, weighed down by 360 billion euros (£302.1 billion) of non-performing loans, hoping to shield savers.