Testimony before the
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
of the European Parliament

with the President of the European Central Bank,
in accordance with Article 113(3) of the Treaty on European Union

Introductory statement

by Dr. Willem F. Duisenberg,
President of the European Central Bank,
Brussels, 12 September 2001 

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the light of the unprecedented and tragic events that occurred in the United States yesterday, I should like to be as brief as possible today in my introductory  statement. Firstly, I should like to express my deep sympathy with the citizens of the United States and, in particular, the relatives and friends of the victims of this brutal attack. Moreover, I should like to emphasise that the European Central Bank and the national central banks are standing ready to support the normal functioning of markets and relevant operational systems, if the need arises. Indeed, the ECB has been in close contact with the other major central banks in the world since the events have unfolded.

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