'Dialogue on bond diversification OK'

(ANSA) - Rome, December 9 - Italian Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri on Monday told the 2019 Rome Investment Forum that although Italy is against changing the treatment of banks' holdings of sovereign bonds under European banking union, it is willing to discuss incentives for a diversification of all portfolios.
    "Italy has clearly said that a revision of the prudential treatment of sovereign bonds would be damaging and inappropriate: it would make the EU the only jurisdiction without a zero-risk liquid asset", he said.
    However, he said, such a stance "doesn't mean that there is no willingness to reason, in parallel with the introduction of a scheme guaranteeing deposits, on incentives for a diversification of all portfolios, not only in sovereign bonds".