Government to decide next month on Rome 2020 bid

ROME (AP) - Italian Premier Mario Monti says the government will decide whether to support Rome's bid for the 2020 Olympics by a Feb. 15 deadline.

While Rome was the first city to announce a 2020 bid, Italy's economic crisis has raised questions over the candidacy.

The International Olympic Committee requires bid cities to provide government financial guarantees, and detailed bid plans must be submitted to the IOC by Feb. 15.

After a Cabinet meeting Friday, Monti said the government's decision "will come by the deadline - meaning mid-February.''

Also bidding for 2020 are Madrid; Tokyo; Istanbul; Doha, Qatar; and Baku, Azerbaijan.

The IOC will select the host city in Buenos Aires in September 2013.