Staikouras: Eurogroup decision easing Greek debt is historic
The Eurogroup has reached a historic landmark decision for Greece, Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said on Tuesday, referring to the decision by the economy and finance ministers of the eurozone to ease Greece’s national debt by some 6 billion euros.
Speaking to the Greek Parliament through a teleconference from Brussels, Staikouras said: “Today is a good day for the country, society and citizens with the acknowledgement of their longtime sacrifices by the institutions and all partners. Yesterday, the Eurogroup reached a landmark decision, an historic one as it was characterized by the head of the Eurogroup, Commission Vice President Paolo Gentiloni, and the head of the European Stabiity Mechanism.”
This was an acknowledgement of the progress made by the Greek economy, its strong resilience in a difficult period with external crises, and its positive outlook.
It is an acknowledgement of the consistency in implementing reforms and the efficiency of implementing a national plan for the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the finance minister said.
He stressed it was significant that further debt relief was achieved, worth 6 billion euros, along with a permanent zero interest rate margin from 2023 onward.
“We will continue working with a plan and responsibility, with confidence in our capabilities and fully aware of the difficulties, to make Greece stronger and its economy more dynamic, productive, extrovert and socially fair,” Staikouras said.
