BERLIN, June 1 (Reuters) - The German economy, Europe’s largest, should grow by between 3.4% and 3.7% this year and regain its pre-pandemic strength by the end of the year, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Tuesday. “Overall, the German economy will have regained its pre-pandemic strength by the end of this year. That is a reason for optimism,” Altmaier told foreign reporters. “We expect the German economy to grow somewhere between 3.4 and 3.7 percent this year. If things go very well, maybe a tenth or two more. And we expect it to grow by 4% next year,” he added. Asked whether he was concerned that a rise in German consumer prices could strengthen, Altmaier said he was “watching this development with inflation very closely” but could not pass judgment on it yet. (Reporting by Paul Carrel, Editing by Douglas Busvine) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.