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Germany regrets Danish euro refusal |
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September 30, 2000
BERLIN, SEPT 29 (AP) - Germany expressed regret at Danish voters' decision Thursday not to join the European single currency, but said its confidence in the euro remains strong. The European Central Bank said the outcome won't affect its cooperation with the Danish central bank. "The door will remain open for Denmark," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said. A government statement expressed "full confidence in the euro," saying its "strength rests on the good economic developments in the euro zone." Fischer declared that stronger efforts to reform the 15-nation European Union are "the best way to counter euro-skeptic thinking." He added that the vote, in which euro opponents won a "head to head race despite a strong pro-euro campaign by the government," should be respected. In Frankfurt, the European Central Bank said the negative outcome of the referendum will not affect its cooperation with the Danish central Bank. "I have taken note of the decision taken by the Danish electorate in today's referendum," ECB President Wim Duisenberg said in a brief statement. "I acknowledge the decision by the Danish people not to apply for the adoption of the euro as their currency. I wish to emphasize that this will not in any way affect the cooperation" between the Danish central bank and the ECB, he said. Denmark already ties its fiscal and monetary decisions to those made by the 11-member euro zone, which forms the bulk of its export market. German Bundesbank president Ernst Welteke said the Danish decision "doesn't change the positive growth perspective," for the euro zone. "The foreign exchange rate of the euro will be strong because the European Central Bank has shown it can maintain price stability and will maintain price stability in the future," he said. |