Nestle S.A. announced yesterday that its sales fell slightly to 56.4 billion Swiss francs, or $47.4 billion, last year because of the strength of the Swiss currency.

Over all, the trade-weighted dollar - computed by measuring the strength of the American currency in relation to currencies of the country's chief trading partners - still rose last year.

They point to the 2,300 schools rehabilitated, the $32 billion pledged for reconstruction, the higher-than-expected oil revenues in recent months and the relative strength of the new currency.

The figures include both the level of the country's reserves, which have been growing, and the strength of the Brazilian currency, which has fallen recently and could be devalued further.

The company said its growth was constrained by continuing problems in the financial-services industry and the strength of the British currency.

The purpose of this control was allegedly to impede the monetary depreciation of the yen, so as to maintain the strength of the Japanese currency on the continent.

The strength of the Swedish currency against the United States dollar also hurt results.

I am convinced that the strength of the single currency will be guaranteed if the rules we have agreed upon are followed in every single Member State.

The last question that I would like to ask is this: what about the strength of the currency?

Another topic that is currently high on the economic agenda is the strength of the European currency.