Hollande calls for swift action to help EU states

French President Francois Hollande called on Thursday for "very quick solutions" to help eurozone nations in financial trouble as he arrived for a crucial EU summit. "I have come to find very quick solutions to support the countries facing the biggest problems in the markets," Hollande told reporters, in a clear reference to Italy and Spain. Action should be taken to "support countries that have undertaken reforms but cannot withstand interest rates that are too high," he said. EU leaders began to arrive for a two-day summit hoping to deliver a convincing response to the eurozone debt crisis but they remain divided over a raft of issues, including short-term moves to relieve Italy and Spain. The French socialist leader, who headed to the summit on a Paris-Brussels train, called for a medium-term plan to restore confidence in the 17-nation eurozone. "Growth must be at the heart of our commitments," said Hollande, adding that a growth pact that EU leaders will discuss must total between 120 billion and 130 billion euros, which "we want to be spent rapidly." Hollande was elected in May vowing to push for pro-growth policies in Europe, pitting him against the German-led austerity drive in place since the debt crisis erupted more than two years ago.