Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), on Friday summarised the exit strategy of the central bank from its crisis-fighting measures.

He said that the four main cornerstones of the strategy reflected the ECB's reputation for swift and decisive action when required; its technical and institutional ability to act; the forward-looking initial design of the measures; and above all "the link to our monetary policy strategy and the primary objective of securing price