Germany says "we're ready" for World Cup

BERLIN, May 31 (Reuters) Germany officially declared itself ready for the World Cup today when a final government progress report said everything was in place for a successful tournament.

''Germany is ready,'' Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said, nine days before the climax of nine years of planning.

At a Berlin news conference alongside soccer great Franz Beckenbauer, who is head of the tournament's organising committee, Schaeuble was at pains to stress German hospitality after a wave of negative publicity over racist attacks.

''We want to show our country is friendly to foreigners,'' Schaeuble said. ''Germany is an open, peaceful and tolerant country and we will show that during the World Cup too.'' He said the government had agreed with world soccer body FIFA to send out a strong anti-racism message during the 32-nation tournament which kicks off on June 9.

Before the quarter-final games, all team captains will read out statements condemning discrimination in soccer and in society, with the motto ''Say No to Racism''.

Schaeuble said it was a universal message and denied it was a specific response to fears that German far-rightists might try to exploit the World Cup for propaganda purposes.

Germany sees hosting one of the biggest events in sport as a chance to boost its image throughout the world and show its people as welcoming and fun-loving.

It has adopted the tournament motto ''A Time to Make Friends'', although Beckenbauer jokingly conceded that some of his more reserved countrymen might need ''a bit of a push'' to lighten up and smile.

Preparations have been dogged at various times by criticism of ticketing arrangements and stadium safety, and fears that far-rightists or hooligans could spoil the party.

Schaeuble said ''everything that is humanly possible'' had been done to guarantee security, in the face of what authorities describe as a generalised risk of terrorist attacks. They stress they have no intelligence of any concrete militant plans.

On the other main security challenge, hooliganism, he said troublemakers would be dealt with ''very decisively''.

''We are closely cooperating with all neighbouring and participating countries on the hooligan problem,'' he said.

REUTERS PG PC1840