HIGHLIGHTS-Eurogroup leaders' financial crisis meeting

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Leaders of euro zone countries held an emergency meeting in Paris on Sunday where they agreed on the framework for pan-European measures to prop up the battered financial sector and halt market panic.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown were also in Paris for the meeting.

Below are some of their comments.

For a text of the statement please click on [ID:nLC67911].

GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL

"We agreed on a common approach as far as the basket of instruments is concerned and each country can now use this basket in the way it sees fit for its own needs.

"We believe that with this common basket of instruments we can get the financial crisis under control and set rules that allow the markets to function again. This is our goal.

"We will put these measures into practice tomorrow in order to keep the economy running, to ensure the safety of our citizens assets and to stabilise the financial system.