EUROGROUP: FRANCE HANDS OVER CHAIRMANSHIP TO BELGIUM.

Strong Euro.On behalf of the Eurogroup, the Belgian Minister also declared himself in favour of a strong Euro. Although declining to specify the ideal level for the Euro against the US Dollar, Mr Reynders declared: "It is not at the moment when the Euro is climbing that we are going to change our attitude. A strong Euro corresponds to growth in our zone's economic activity." In the Belgian Finance Minister's opinion, it is important for the single currency to be strong because of the soundness of the fundamental elements of the European economy and not because the other major international monetary zones are experiencing economic difficulties.Visibility.The new chairman of the Eurogroup undertook to work towards better visibility of the group's activities. According to Mr Reynders, "We have to defend the idea that the Euro zone has a place to defend in the concert of international institutions. The Euro zone must be able to have its own political co-ordination." He acknowledged that the informal nature of the group made possible "more open and more constructive exchanges of views".Under the Belgian chairmanship, which...