MOSCOW, Oct 13 - European Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg said on Monday the euro zone would return to trend potential output growth towards the end of next year, despite recent oil price swings. "We have seen oil prices rise recently and come down... our main scenario remains that euro area economy growth will pick up slowly in the second half of this year," Duisenberg said at a news conference following a signing ceremony between the ECB, the European Commission and the Central Bank of Russia. "And (then) further in the course of next year, so that at the end of next year the euro area will be growing at or around (its) potential growth rate," Duisenberg added. Asked about the euro's recent movements in foreign exchange markets, Duisenberg said:
"What I try to teach the European public... is the euro is a euro." The ECB left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low of 2.00 percent in October. A majority of economists believe euro zone interest rates have now reached their trough, though a smaller number still expects even lower rates ahead.//