25 July 2001, 08:59  O'Neill praises UK economic performance

LONDON (AFX) - US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said current UK economic performance is "pretty good," noting the country's low unemployment rate. With the UK unemployment rate at around 3.6 pct, O'Neill said in a press briefing for UK reports: "that's a wonderful condition that you're in right now." "It's really great to see you operating at this level ... there's much to be admired about the UK operation of its economy," he added. Addressing the economic performance of continental Europe, O'Neill drew a distinction with the US, noting that structural flexibility in the US economy has given it the potential for faster growth. But rigidities in "other economies" make them slower to respond to real-time signals, prone to longer cyclical corrections, and left with lower potential growth rates, he said. Asked whether the global economy would benefit from a stronger euro, O'Neill said: "There's a presumption underneath your question that one can will the rates to be different ... that's not how I think the world works."

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