ATHENS (MNI) – Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras appealed Friday
to the European Union to release the next loan tranche for Greece
immediately.
Speaking at a press conference in the Greek capital after a meeting
with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, Samaras said that the
Greek people have “reached their limits.”
“I have raised the issue of a timely release of the next loan
tranche, which will be primarily injected into the domestic economy in
order to boost liquidity,” Samaras said.
“Our efforts are persistent and painful and are being made in order
to regain our credibility and honor our commitments,” he added.
The Greek prime minister said he described to Van Rompuy the
enhanced privatization program his government is pushing through as well
as the extremely high unemployment levels and unprecedented recession
the country is suffering from.
Samaras again noted negative statements about Greece made by EU
officials and reiterated that such words “harm Greece’s efforts to
recover.”
Van Rompuy asked the Greek government to continue pushing for
structural reforms and acknowledged the efforts made so far, calling the
Greek people “courageous.”
“Monopoly behaviors must be broken. It is not just a matter of
bringing the fiscal deficit down. It is also a matter of social justice.
Those who have must carry their share of the burden,” he said.
“The Greek prime minister reassured me that the coalition
government is committed to make the program successful. I am convinced
in the end the program will be successful and Greece will have
[efficient] institutions and public administration,” he added.
Van Rompuy said he was “confident that the future of Greece is
within the Eurozone” and that the EU will continue to support Greece’s
effort towards recovery, provided that the indebted country honors its
commitments.
“For those who doubt, I would like to remind that we have approved
E240 billion worth of financial aid for Greece and that the ECB has
purchased many Greek bonds,” Van Rompuy emphasized.
He added that “the crisis is not Greek” and that the “decisions
taken by the EU summit in July and those taken by the ECB yesterday are
very important.”
Athens bureau. Email: apapamiltiadou@marketnews.com
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