Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck says Europe's biggest economy in Germany is 'relatively robust' despite the US financial crisis that saw the collapse of major investment banks and could require hundreds of billions to fix. But he warned that export-giant Germany will have to deal with slower growth worldwide for the near future.

Mr Steinbrueck says the likely outcome of the crisis will be that 'the world financial system will become more multi-polar' as the US financial superpower status fades.

Mr Steinbrueck was speaking to lawmakers in Germany's federal parliament on Thursday. -- AP