The European Union (EU) must eye a stronger role in the world, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday here after a meeting with Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti.

"Europe has to answer the question of how it is looking at its future ... it must be a strong EU in the future," Merkel told a joint press conference, adding that "each European country has to undertake to do its part especially in key sectors such as fiscal and innovation policies."

She noted the EU has already moved important steps towards stability, but big challenges still lay ahead also due to the continent's aging population, saying the "debt crisis made us understand many weak points we shall fight."

Her Italian counterpart Monti, who shared this view, said that "it is important not to relax neither at the EU level nor in each single member."

After the recent signing of the fiscal compact, it is now necessary to implement growth measures to enhance innovation thus competitiveness in the EU, Monti stressed.

Next summer Italy will host an inter-governmental summit between the two countries, whose bilateral relations are of "well-established quality," Monti said.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet