Athens, Greece - Finance Ministers from several European countries met Friday in the concerns on the Greece and Portugal, Greek and other officials of the European Union vehemently denied a report online magazine German that Athens plans to leave the euro zone.
The Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou participated in the informal meeting at Luxembourg, called by the Luxembourg Prime Minister and head of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker, the Ministry said in Athens.
Talks were held "the meeting of the Finance Ministers of the euro area participating in the G-20 and the Finance Minister has been called to participate in an exchange of views regarding financial developments in Greece".the Department said in a statement.
"It is absolutely clear that in these negotiations, it did there was no discussion nor was any issue raised concerning the participation of the Greece, in the euro area as various foreign media said irresponsible and for their own reasons," he said.
Earlier, the Ministry categorically rejected the report by Spiegel Online, which said that Athens plans to withdraw from the common currency of the EU. The report, which sent the euro tumbling, added that eurozone finance ministers kept a secret crisis meeting at Luxembourg on Friday evening to discuss the issue.
The euro fell to $1.4470 of $1.4530 late Thursday. It had traded at $1.4942 on Wednesday, its highest level since December 2009.
"Report on a Greek imminent release of the euro area, as well as to be false, was written with lightness incomprehensible despite the fact that it was denied several times by the Greek Government and the Governments of the other Member States" said the Ministry of finance. "" "". These reports are a provocation, undermine the efforts made by the Greece and the euro and serve speculative games. ?
Steffen Seibert, spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, stated that it "is a meeting of Finance Ministers which has long been planned." Greece, out of the zone euro is not the agenda of this meeting, and it has never been.
A German Government official, said that the Spiegel Online report was "completely unfounded." He confirmed that a small and informal few members of the eurozone ministerial meeting took place in Luxembourg, adding that participants were to discuss "a wide range of economic topics," as the euro and European mechanism stabilityarea euro future bailout Fund which will enter into force in 2013, as they have in the past.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details of the meeting.
European Finance Ministers are known to meet outside of their regular monthly meetings from time to time to discuss more informally in the euro area.
It was unclear which other officials were at the talks. French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has been "work" on Friday evening, a Ministry official said in Paris, but he refused to disclose his whereabouts and come. He spoke on condition of anonymity the policy of the Government.
Greece was rescued from the verge of bankruptcy in may year last by a billion European (159.51 billion) package of loans from other countries of the euro and the Monetary Fund rescue International. In return, he imposed a strict austerity policy. Since then, Ireland and, more recently, Portugal also received similar rescues.
However, despite rescue loans, the country was unable to obtain its difficulty growing new economy and reduce its budget deficit according to the objectives set out in the rescue program.
Speculation has spawned in recent days and weeks that the Greece will eventually have to restructure its debt, which extends payments either by reducing same principal. Most economists say the country will be able to service its debt in the long term, that rises to more than euro340 billion, more than 140% of economic output. Government and EU officials have refused on several occasions that a restructuring is envisaged.
Papaconstantinou earlier this week called the creditors of the Greece to give the country more time to repay its rescue loans and lower interest rates even further, after they already relaxed the conditions of loan in March.
Analysts say that the euro needs start thinking about a Plan B breakdown of the bail out the crisis of the monetary union.
"It would be irresponsible of creditor countries not way to seriously discuss the many issues to do with the Greece, of Portugal and Ireland," Sony Kapoor, Director General of financial reform think tank redefine, said a meeting of Finance Ministers. He dismissed reports on a Greek exit from the monetary union as "a vicious rumour."
Economists say attempted to leave the euro could cause a huge financial crisis as investors rush to sell assets until they can be re-denominated in national currency devaluated. It would also open up the country leaving political reprisals of unfortunate colleagues members of the EU.
The problems of the Greece are by far not the only issues unresolved in the euro area. The meeting comes a few days only after officials from the EU and the Monetary Fund International has agreed on a rescue (113 billion dollars) for the Portugal euro78 billion. However, the agreement has yet be approved by the Finance Ministers of the euro area - a step which has been questioned by the recent elections in Finland, where a Eurosceptic, the anti-bailout party won about 20% of the vote. A "no" to the Finland could block all loans to go to Lisbon.
The political crisis in Helsinki has also delayed an agreement on an increase under existing rescue of the euro as well as funds to finalize plans for the future Fund, MSS.
The euro began in 1999 for accounting purposes and cash was introduced in 2002. He is past 11 original members from 17 countries, with the later Estonia to reach, January 1.
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Juergen Baetz reported from Berlin. Gabriele Steinhauser Brussels, Nicholas Paphitis Athens, David McHugh in Frankfurt and Greg Keller and Jenny Barchfield in Paris contributed to this report.
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