The bid by Malta and Cyprus to join the eurozone has created headaches in Frankfurt, as the design bods behind the single currency’s notes and coins grapple with an embarrassing dilemma, The Financial Times said.

Euro bank notes and coinage feature a map of the continent, which includes Britain – a non-euro member – and Turkey, which geographically is largely situated in Asia. But strangely they do not feature either Malta or Cyprus.

The newspaper said the leaders of the two Mediterranean islands, which are expected to become the 14th and 15th countries to use the euro on 1 January 2008 have registered their concerns with the European Central Bank.

The Observer quoted Prime Minister Gonzi as saying: “We’ll be included on the map in the next issue of notes and coins. Don’t worry.”

As in “I will win the next election. Don’t worry”?