Brussels, 17/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The good situation of the euro on the exchange market was stressed on Saturday by France and Germany during the meeting in Halifax (Canada) of the finance ministers of the seven main industrialised powers (G7). Passed in silence in the G7 press release, the evolution of the exchange market gave rise to an unusual number of comments from finance ministers. The euro zone is "in favour of a strong euro" German Minister Hans Eichel said, while saying he was not concerned about the effects of the current fall in the dollar on the competitiveness of German exports. Depreciation of the greenback compared to the euro is positive as it allows inflationary trends in Europe to be reduced, added his French counterpart, Francis Mer. "For the time being, the fall in the dollar allows the euro zone to import disinflation, which is not such a bad idea", he added. Spanish Economy Minister Rodrigo Rato felt that the current level of the euro compared to the dollar better reflects the fundamental European economic parameters. (The euro is at its highest rate compared to the dollar for 17 months, after a progression of nearly 6% since April). US Secretary for the Treasury Paul O'Neill for his part simply repeated, as his predecessors in the Clinton Administration had done, that the United States maintained its policy in favour of a strong dollar. Japan is the only country of the G7 to have really expressed concern about the fall in the dollar, fearing that the rise in the yen (after over ten years of stagnation) may undermine Japan's fragile economic recovery.