WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said if the United States has a strong economy it would have a strong dollar, in rare comments about the U.S. currency in an interview with Russian television broadcast on Saturday.
Obama also expressed fresh American concern over the debt turmoil roiling Greece, which has affected world markets.
The interviewer from Russian television's state-run Channel Rossiya asked Obama whether he would like to see a weaker or a stronger dollar.
'My basic principle is to focus on the fundamentals of the economy. I think that if we have a strong U.S. economy we're going to have a strong dollar,' Obama said, according to an English-language transcript of the May 6 interview provided by the White House.
Obama's remarks were unusual as he normally leaves it to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take the lead role in commenting on the U.S. currency.
Geithner has typically repeated his long-standing mantra that a strong dollar is in the U.S. interest and its value would reflect the strength of the U.S. economy.
Some foreign investors, including China, expressed concern about dollar weakness late last year, but the greenback has strengthened recently as worries about the Greek debt crisis have driven investors out of the euro.
The dollar has strengthened to around $1.27 per euro last week from over $1.50 last December, when evidence of U.S. recovery was less clear and there were growing concerns that the U.S. budget deficit would continue to rise.
Obama, who is receiving regular briefings from top economic advisers about Greece's debt turmoil, said he was 'very concerned' about the crisis.
'But I think it is an issue that the Europeans recognize is very serious,' he added.
'Greece is taking some very difficult measures -- at least they've put forward a plan that calls for difficult measures. And if we can stabilize Europe that will be good for the United States and that will be good for Russia as well.'
(Reporting by Ross Colvin and David Lawder; Editing by Will Dunham) Keywords: USA ECONOMY/OBAMA (ross.colvin@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202-898-8392; Reuters Messaging: ross.colvin.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Obama also expressed fresh American concern over the debt turmoil roiling Greece, which has affected world markets.
The interviewer from Russian television's state-run Channel Rossiya asked Obama whether he would like to see a weaker or a stronger dollar.
'My basic principle is to focus on the fundamentals of the economy. I think that if we have a strong U.S. economy we're going to have a strong dollar,' Obama said, according to an English-language transcript of the May 6 interview provided by the White House.
Obama's remarks were unusual as he normally leaves it to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take the lead role in commenting on the U.S. currency.
Geithner has typically repeated his long-standing mantra that a strong dollar is in the U.S. interest and its value would reflect the strength of the U.S. economy.
Some foreign investors, including China, expressed concern about dollar weakness late last year, but the greenback has strengthened recently as worries about the Greek debt crisis have driven investors out of the euro.
The dollar has strengthened to around $1.27 per euro last week from over $1.50 last December, when evidence of U.S. recovery was less clear and there were growing concerns that the U.S. budget deficit would continue to rise.
Obama, who is receiving regular briefings from top economic advisers about Greece's debt turmoil, said he was 'very concerned' about the crisis.
'But I think it is an issue that the Europeans recognize is very serious,' he added.
'Greece is taking some very difficult measures -- at least they've put forward a plan that calls for difficult measures. And if we can stabilize Europe that will be good for the United States and that will be good for Russia as well.'
(Reporting by Ross Colvin and David Lawder; Editing by Will Dunham) Keywords: USA ECONOMY/OBAMA (ross.colvin@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202-898-8392; Reuters Messaging: ross.colvin.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.