Greece denies reports it's seeking to leave the eu
5/6/2011 3:07:59 PM | No Recommendation | 350 reads | Post #29682293
Greece denies reports it's seeking to leave the euro currency
Elena Becatoros, The Associated Press, On Friday May 6, 2011, 2:01 pm
By Elena Becatoros, The Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece - Greece strongly denied a report by a German magazine website that it was considering leaving the euro currency — a report that sent the euro tumbling late Friday.
"The report on an imminent Greek exit from the eurozone, as well as being untrue, has been written with incomprehensible levity despite the fact that this has been repeatedly denied by the Greek government, and the governments of other EU member states," the Finance Ministry said in an announcement.
"Such reports are a provocation, undermine efforts by Greece and the euro and serve speculative games," it said.
The Spiegel Online report sent the euro tumbling late Friday to $1.4408 from $1.4530 late Thursday. It had traded at $1.4942 on Wednesday, its highest level since December 2009.
The report claimed Athens was considering withdrawing from the European Union's joint currency, and that the eurozone's finance ministers were holding a secret crisis meeting in Luxembourg Friday night to discuss the issue.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said a prearranged meeting was taking place, but it had nothing to do with the idea that Greece would leave the euro.
"There is a meeting of some finance ministers that has long been planned. Greece exiting the Eurozone is not on the agenda of that meeting, and it has never been," Steffen Seibert said.
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