Dutch Eurogroup chair says Italy must stick to agreements

Netherlands' Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem holds his first news conference after being appointed new Eurogroup Chairman during a euro zone finance ministers' meeting in Brussels January 21, 2013. Dijsselbloem, a first-time minister previously best known as a specialist on agriculture and education, succeeded the long-serving Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Italy must bear its part of responsibility for the stability of the euro zone and stick to its agreements with the rest of the currency bloc, Dutch Finance Minister and Eurogroup chair Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Tuesday.

"I think and I hope there is a broad understanding that there is also a responsibility for the stability of the euro zone as a whole, and that agreements have to be met," Dijsselbloem told Dutch broadcaster RTL7.

"Pulling Europe from the economic doldrums requires a stable, political policy, also in Italy."

(Reporting by Gilbert Kreijger; editing by Patrick Graham)