LONDON (Standard&Poor's) March 19, 2004--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today it assigned its 'AAA' long-term senior unsecured debt rating to the Kingdom of Denmark's (AAA/Stable/A-1+) upcoming five-year Euro benchmark bond. The rating on the bond is equalized with that on Denmark. "The ratings on the Kingdom of Denmark reflect its substantial fiscal flexibility and resilient and diversified economy," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Moritz Kraemer. Policymakers' longstanding commitment to fiscal discipline remains robust, and is expected to sustain general government surpluses equivalent to between 1.0 % and 2.0% of GDP over the medium to long term. The 1.5% government balance in 2003 was the seventh consecutive surplus, a track record not shared by any other EU
