European Union and eurozone Finance Ministers meeting in Riga was concluded with the common position (regarding Greece) that there is no other plan but Greece to remain in the eurozone. “There is no plan B or C or D for Greece (exit from the eurozone)” said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin after the end of the EU Finance Ministers meeting in Riga on Saturday. The same statement made upon his arrival to Ecofin, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici.
The Slovenian Finance Minister Dusan Mramor said that with his reference on Friday for a plan B he did not refer to a possible Greek exit from the eurozone but to the difficulties that exist in the deliberations and the need for another procedure.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaueble when asked if he agrees with Chancellor Angela Merkel that she will do everything in order Greece to remain in the eurozone, he answered positively adding that it is not certain that the Chancellor’s determination is enough. To a question on the so-called plan B he did not give a clear answer.
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis was sharply criticized on Friday on the delay that according to his counterparts, exists in Greece ‘s negotiations with the institutions. Varoufakis said that Greece is not responsible for whatever delays and insinuated that some dogmatic obsessions of specific countries of the eurozone are also responsible for the delays.
However, diplomatic sources recognized on Saturday in Riga that the procedure followed recently in Greece’s negotiations with the lenders is at a point problematic and there must be corrective actions as soon as possible in order for the agreement to be reached by May 11. “The solution is not of course the return to the troika” said the same sources adding however that “even eternity does not last forever.”
On his part, Austrian Finance Minister Hans Georg Schelling speaking on Saturday to the press expressed the certainty that within the next weeks there will be an agreement with Greece “It is up to Greece” he said adding “I hope Mr. Varoufakis will have received the message Eurogroup sent him yesterday.”
Finally, diplomatic sources said that Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis had a meeting with European Commissioner Moscovici on the sidelines of the Ecofin in Riga. The governor of the Bank of Greece Yannis Stournaras is also in Riga who had the opportunity to meet with European Central Bank president Mario Draghi and with Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
(source: ana-mpa)
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