(ANSA) - Washington, January 29 - Italy wants to stay in the euro and help change Europe and the government is determined to cut its high debt, Economy Minister Giovanni Tria told a Washington think tank on Tuesday.

Italy wants to stay in Europe and the euro, Tria said.

"We want to help change Europe but Italy wants to stay in Europe and wants to stay in the single currency," he said at the Peterson Institute in Washington.

Italy's high public debt is a legacy from the last century and the government is determined to cut it, Tria said.

"The high Italian public debt is a legacy from the last century. We are determined to reduce it in a constant and progressive way," he said.

There is no need to change Italy's budget targets or objectives, Tria said.

"At the moment I don't see the need to adopt a more stringent or expansive budget policy," he said.

"Looking at the current situation we must not change our objectives, we must maintain them, also because the estimates are quite prudent," he said.

Tria added: "I don't see systemic problems for our banking system".

He said "we have had some isolated management problems but the banking system is solid.

"We are monitoring, but I don't see big problems".

