BRUSSELS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Eurogroup agreed to endorse

"We had a brief exchange of views in the Eurogroup, and I am glad to report that it was a unanimous decision.I would like to congratulate Luis, " said Centeno in a news conference after a regular meeting of the eurozone finance ministers.

He said the final decision by EU Leaders is expected be taken at a summit in March, after consulting the ECB and the European Parliament. And de Guindos is expected to take up his position at the ECB on June 1.

It's widely believed that a vice president from a southern European country would be likely to boost the chances of a German becoming the next ECB president in 2019, and thus likely to have a more hawkish monetary policy.