PARIS - France's finance minister says he will host his counterparts from Germany, Italy and Spain ahead of an important European Union summit this week that he says should lead to more integrated European budgets and banking systems.
Pierre Moscovici says the meeting of finance ministers of the four largest members of the eurozone will take place Tuesday evening in Paris.
Moscovici told France-Info radio that the EU summit, which starts Thursday, should "lay the groundwork for the second phase of the euro." He said it should "show proof" of further integration on a wide range of issues.
France's Socialist President Francois Hollande is pushing other European leaders at the summit to approve a €120 billion spending package alongside a budget-cutting treaty.
