Swiss finance minister warns steep European debt could trigger euro crisis

ZURICH, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Rising public debt levels in Europe and beyond pose a risk to economic stability and could trigger a euro crisis, Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said on Friday.

Speaking to Swiss national broadcaster SRF in Bangkok on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Keller-Sutter said energy prices were also fuelling concerns among policymakers.

Switzerland has one of the lowest levels of public debt in Europe, but Keller-Sutter said it was important to see the bigger picture in the current environment.

"We're so deeply interconnected internationally that we're also vulnerable, for instance, in case a debt crisis arises due to the sovereign debt of major countries.

"I'm thinking in particular of the United States, but also of Europe; we have France - that could lead to a euro crisis," Keller-Sutter told SRF.

France's public debt, budget deficits and tepid economic growth have fed concern about its finances as political fragmentation has complicated fiscal consolidation efforts.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)