Financial Times
September 15, 2011
France and Germany offered their full support for Greece remaining in the eurozone, but made an emphatic appeal to Athens to implement promised economic reforms as a way of stabilising the bloc.
Following a conference call on Wednesday evening with George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, and Angela Merkel, German chancellor, tried to quell speculation that Greece could be forced out of the single currency, saying in a statement they were “convinced” that Greece’s future lay in the eurozone.
Mr Papandreou tried to convince the French and German leaders that Greece’s fiscal and structural reform targets could be achieved, in spite of foot-dragging that has triggered turmoil this week on international markets. He assured them he was “absolutely committed” to fulfilling all the commitments Greece has made in return for a new rescue package from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.
“The recent measures adopted are a guarantee that the targets of the Greek programme can be achieved,” the three leaders said, referring to a hastily announced property tax aimed at plugging a €2bn hole in Greece’s budget this year and plans to cut more than 20,000 public sector jobs by November.
More
No comments:
Post a Comment