BONN Germany AP German Finance Minister Oskar Lafontaine said Tuesday he will seek approval from Canada and the United States for having European common currency nations represented at Group of Seven meetings. Lafontaine who leaves Thursday for a two-day trip to North America said the 11 countries adopting the euro common currency on Jan. 1 should be represented by the finance minister of whichever country holds the rotating European Union presidency. As Germany assumes the six-month presidency Jan. 1 Lafontaine himself would be the first European currency zone representative if his plan is approved. Lafontaine is to arrive Thursday in Canada for a meeting with Finance Minister Paul Martin in Ottawa before traveling to Washington. On Friday he is to meet separately with U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin International Monetary Fund Managing Director Michael Camdessus and U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. His trip to North America part of a series of introductory visits since taking office on Oct. 27 will mean the finance minister has visited all of the Group of Seven Leading Industrialized Nations except Japan. aet/cb APW19981201.1418.txt.body.html APW19981201.0908.txt.body.html