Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti received Thursday on the sidelines of a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, Washington's support for austerity measures aimed at avoiding the entry of Italy into default.
"I express my support and that of President (Barack - no) Obama for your Prime Minister and his government's economic reforms," Geithner said after the meeting in Milan.



Monti said he accepted an invitation to the White House next month.

Italian Prime Minister, who heads a national unity government composed of technocrats, is subjected to pressure to fight against debt of 1,900 billion euros.



But Geithner gave assurances that the former commissioner "has more credibility, not only in Europe and in Washington, but throughout the world."



This week, the government introduced a Monti austerity package worth 24 billion needed to save the country from bankruptcy. A default entry of Italy would threaten the whole euro area.



Geithner went to Milan in a European tour aimed to exert pressure on EU leaders to resolve the sovereign debt crisis.