1 June 2005, 16:53  Officials scorn 'absurd' talk of EMU risk

Germany's top financial policymakers ruled out failure of European monetary union on Wednesday, dismissing as "absurd" talk that the single currency's survival could be at risk. The euro dipped sharply after German news weekly Stern reported that break up of monetary union was discussed at a meeting which German Finance Minister Hans Eichel and Bundesbank President Axel Weber attended last week with market economists. A source who participated in the meeting told Reuters the issue had been raised by a private sector economist, but that the senior German officials had not participated in that part of the discussion nor made any comment. The Bundesbank issued a statement saying Eichel and Weber consider the euro currency "a unique success story and an important step in securing the future of Europe." "Weber rules out failure of monetary union. He will not participate in such an absurd discussion," said Bundesbank spokesman Wolfgang Moerke in a statement. Eichel sees no danger of a failure and will not take part in an "absurd" discussion sparked by a media report, a German Finance Ministry spokesman said. But even the slightest scent of any high-level political concern over the future of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), however remote failure might be, hit a currency already struggling after France firmly rejected the European Union constitution last weekend.

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