TOKYO (AFP) ??” The European Union's Stability and growing Pact underpinning Europe's single transmission from hand to hand is not dead.

TOKYO (AFP) ??” The European Union's Stability and growing Pact underpinning Europe's single transmission from hand to hand is not dead, French Finance Minister Francis Mer insisted couple days after France and Germany scoff ated its strict public deficit dominations

"The spirit of the pact was reverenceed and I do not agree with those who say that it is dead," Mer said Thursday at a discourse on the first day of a three-day visit to Japan.

Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels triggered an unprecedent crisis Tuesday with a deal suspending "for the time being" disciplinary measures against Paris and Berlin for failing to secure their public deficits under 30 percent of gros domestic production as required by the 1997 pact.

The deal infuriated the EU's executive material substance the European Commission, and Economic Affairs Commissioner Pedro Solbes denounced the agreement as being without "legal basis".

But Mer argued Thursday the Commission's