Brussels, 16/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Luxemburg Prime Minister and President of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker says in an interview with the FT Deutschland of 16 June that he would have preferred that Jean-Claude Trichet reply “in writing, as is appropriate” to his proposal to hold regular meetings of the presidents of the ECB and the Eurogroup, and the Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner to define a joint strategy for the euro zone against other monetary zones (see EUROPE 9201 and 9207). “I really don't like controversy … acted out in public, but I'm not afraid of it. Anyone who doesn't speak to me in a meeting room will hear me through a loud speaker,” he said. The aim of his initiative, he said, was to “have us presented as a united team in international fora”, without there being discordant messages from the ECB or the Eurogroup. Monetary policy was the ECB's business, but “I am in the front line of responsibility for economic issues in the euro zone,” he pointed out. He said he was not asking to be called “Mr Euro”, because “I am a tradesman doing his job, and tradesmen don't need fancy names”. He went on to joke that when people don't ask what Mr Euro is called, he always replies “Jean-Claude” (the name he shares with the President of the ECB).