Italian Premier Mario Monti, said, following a cabinet meeting Friday, that the government will decide whether to support a Rome bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games by the Feb. 15 deadline.
The Associated Press reports Monti said the government’s decision “will come by the deadline – meaning mid-February”. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) requires bid cities to provide government financial guarantees, and detail plans for a bid must by submitted to the IOC by February 15.
Rome was the first city to announce a 2020 Olympic bid, and its competitors are Madrid, Tokyo, Istanbul, Doha and Baku.
Since the announcement there have been questions about Rome’s candidacy due to Italy’s economic crisis.
The IOC is to select a host city for the 2020 Games in Buenos Aires in September 2013.
