Dutch not against buying bonds says Finance Minister

(THE HAGUE) - Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager said Wednesday he was in principle not against buying bonds from struggling eurozone countries, but that the practice should "critically be looked at".

"We are reluctant, but unlike Finland we are not opposed to every single case. That you can't do," the Dutch news agency ANP quoted de Jager as saying during a debate in the Dutch lower house of parliament.

De Jager added: "you have to continue looking at effectivity. This is an instrument in the agreement which you have to look at critically."

De Jager's spokeswoman Simone Boitelle told AFP that the Dutch government would judge the situation on a "case-by-case" basis.

"To say that we are against it is completely untrue," she said.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said Tuesday he would try to persuade an unwilling Finland and the Netherlands to use Europe's long-term bailout plan to buy bonds and stabilise the market.

Finland has voiced concern about using the future European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to buy bonds to ease stiff borrowing costs that have dogged vulnerable eurozone economies, saying the Netherlands held the same position.

De Jager's comments come a day after the Netherlands finalised the ESM's ratification.

Eurozone leaders in Brussels last week reached a deal which brought bond yield relief to Italy and Spain and sent the euro soaring on foreign exchange markets.