Support is growing for the creation of common euro zone bonds to help cut funding costs for troubled member states such as Greece, Reuters quoted its leader as saying on Thursday, amid signs France may be willing to reconsider the idea. As spreads on peripheral euro zone debt widened further, most economists surveyed in a Reuters poll said they expect debt-laden Portugal will need a European-led bailout similar to those granted to Greece and Ireland last year while Spain will not. Addressing a French Economy Ministry conference, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said jointly issued euro bonds could help overcome the single currency area's sovereign debt crisis. Germany and France, the two biggest economies in the 17-nation euro zone, have so far firmly opposed such an initiative. -- SPA
