Italy Deputy PM Di Maio says has full confidence in economy minister

Thomson Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Deputy Prime Minister and 5-Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio said on Wednesday he had "full confidence" in Economy Minister Giovanni Tria after local media reports about Tria's possible resignation.

"I have full confidence in minister Tria and what he is doing," Di Maio said during a live Facebook video from Chengdu, China.

"We can't wait two or three years to maintain our promises," Di Maio added, referring to pledges made by the governing coalition of 5-Star and the right-wing League.

Tria, an academic unaffiliated to either party, has been cautious about adopting some of the parties' plans in the 2019 budget which the government is now putting together, for fear of upsetting financial markets.

"The objective is not to reassure markets. The objective of the budget is to improve the quality of life of Italians," Di Maio said.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer)

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