Italo sale 'funny' says Gentiloni (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, February 16 - The sale of rail company Italo to the US fund Global Infrastructure Partners was "funny" because "very great firms and very great financial institutions did not cultivate the ambition of a European project," Premier Paolo Gentiloni said Friday. He said he was "a little disappointed because perhaps they should have shown greater ambition, they behaved a little like a start-up". Speaking on TV show Otto e Mezzo on independent broadcaster La7, the premier said "we Italians, too, could have cultivated" the ambition of a European project. Asked if he had spoken about this to Italo chiefs including Luca Cordero de Montezemolo, he said "I prefer not to answer" but said he had "always" discussed it with Industry Minister Carlo Calenda.