Greece will need more time to carry out reforms to its damaged economy but will not be driven from the euro zone, Italian Finance Minister Vittorio Grilli said on Thursday, Oct 18, according to Reuters.

"It certainly can be saved and it will be saved," Grilli told Italy's Rai state television as the latest general strike and demonstration against repeated doses of austerity measures hit central Athens.

"It's obvious that this process of restructuring is even harder than ours, but there are no alternatives. It will certainly need more time but Greece will be saved," he said.