Barroso: Europe will come out of euro crisis even stronger

The European Union will come out of the current Euro crisis even stronger, European Commission President Joe Manuel Barroso said in New Zealand Thursday, according to dpa. "Those who think that the euro will disintegrate are not fully aware of the dynamics of our union," he said in a speech at the University of Auckland. "Every time Europe has faced a crisis, we have moved towards deeper integration. The debate in Europe is a strong one, but it is a debate about how far to integrate, rather than whether to undo integration." Barroso said the Euro was not only a monetary construction. "It is also a political project which embodies the will of Europeans to share their future. This oath is not in question - we will come out stronger from this crisis, I can promise you that." Barroso is in New Zealand to lead an EU delegation in a dialogue with leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) on Friday. The 16-member PIF, reduced to 15 after Fiji was suspended following a military coup in December 2006, wrapped up its annual summit Thursday. The United States will also participate in the post-forum dialogue with a 48-member delegation, the largest Washington has ever sent to a PIF summit. Its leader, Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides, told reporters President Barack Obama had personally charged the delegation with sending a message that his administration saw the Pacific both of economic and strategic importance. Although observers have said Washington was concerned about China's growing influence in the Pacific, Nides said the US was comfortable with its relationship with Beijing. China is also a dialogue partner of the forum and has sent Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai to lead its delegation at Friday's meeting. "We are all here with the same objective which is to show oursupport for the Pacific islands," Nides said