HIGHLIGHTS-Euro zone finance ministers' meeting

BRUSSELS, July 6 (Reuters) - The following are comments by euro zone finance ministers and other officials in connection with their meeting on Monday in Brussels.

EUROGROUP CHAIRMAN JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER

"The rate of employment is likely to fall, unemployment is likely to rise ... the risk is that we shall move towards a genuine social crisis."

On French budgetary position:

"I am sure that France intends to comply fully with our common rules on fiscal consolidation as soon as the recovery begins, as soon as the exit strategy has to be implemented."

EU MONETARY AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER JOAQUIN ALMUNIA

"The deflationary risks are very small, not significant."

"In a few months' time we expect to see inflation very close to the price stability objective."

EUROGROUP'S JUNCKER

On budgets:

"We have not reached (a point) at which the exit strategy could be applied. The economic indicators suggest the worst is now behind us. As soon as we see some sort of budgetary recovery, budgetary consolidation should resume so that as quickly as possible the countries of the European Union and the euro zone should return to balance."

EU'S ALMUNIA:

On IMF representation:

"Both the president and myself as commissioner, we have stressed that the best way to have a clear and strong defence of our interests ... at the IMF level is to have a single chair representing the whole of the euro area.

"This is not the opinion of some members of the euro area."

"Everyone agrees for the long term this is the best solution but some think the long term is always very far away."