U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is more optimistic on the economic outlook than he was three months ago, he said in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde published on Friday.

He called for a more balanced model of growth in the world, with more saving by Americans while other countries concentrate on boosting internal demand.

I am more optimistic than three months ago and I think that we are doing better than we could have imagined at the beginning of 2009, he said.

The confidence in the policies being carried out in the United States and in the world in general, are having results.

He also said the size of the U.S. fiscal deficit should not hurt investor confidence.

The deficit is very large because of the policies carried out in recent years and because of the recession, he said.

Geithner, who has just finished a 4-day trip to Europe and the Middle East, noted there had already been an increase in the U.S. savings rate.

I tend to think that for households it's a lasting change in behavior. But we do not know how long that will last, he said.

He said it was not yet the moment to decide whether the United States needed a second stimulus plan.

Geithner repeated his belief that the U.S. dollar would remain the world's reserve currency.

The dollar plays a very important role in the international financial system and I think it will stay the main reserve currency, he said.

Timothy geithner