July 18 (Bloomberg) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy said German Chancellor Angela Merkel's views on the euro are moving closer to his own position, which calls for greater political influence in monetary policy, the government spokesman said.

``For him, it's not about questioning the independence of the central bank but showing that monetary policy is a topic of debate and dialogue,'' Sarkozy told the weekly Cabinet meeting today in Paris, according to the spokesman, Laurent Wauquiez. ``In that respect, Madame Merkel's position has evolved in a positive way.''

Meeting in Toulouse, France, two days ago, Sarkozy and Merkel agreed that the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations, currently led by Germany, should work together to address currency matters. The euro today rose to a record of $1.3833, making exports from the currency bloc more expensive.

To contact the reporters on this story: Francois de Beaupuy in Paris at fdebeaupuy@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 18, 2007 07:00 EDT