Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Pierre Moscovici on Monday agreed Greece and creditors are close to an agreement on the second bailout program review.
The two men met at Maximos Mansion. Speaking to the press, Tsipras said, “We are very close to a dea.l”
Regarding the negotiations on the bailout review amidst the refugee crisis and tensions in the region, Tsipras said, “This is why I believe it is now more crucial than ever to take courageous decisions for all sides. We have already shown our will and now we expect our partners to do the same.”
“We are no longer talking about a Grexit. We want a success story for Greece, the Eurozone and Europe as a whole… We have already achieved impressive results and now it is the right time to make the necessary efforts to ensure that Greece will recover rapidly,” he said.
On his part Moscovici said talks on Greek debt must start, noting that an important milestone will be the Eurogroup on December 5, which should open the road to a comprehensive solution, which would be good for both Greece and the euro zone.
“I think we are very close to an agreement. We had a very successful first program review and the second is underway,” he said, adding that Greece should implement the required reforms.
The EU Commissioner said the Eurogroup on December 5 is crucial, but warned debt talks will not conclude in one meeting. Instead, they will open the way for a comprehensive solution in the interests of Greece and the euro zone.
Moscovici further said that this is the time for Greece to reap the benefits of its efforts with growth, investments and jobs for the people of Greece who have suffered. “Greece absolutely has the ability to recover and deserves our trust,” he said.
Later the commissioner met with Economy and Development Minister Dimitris Papadimitriou and expressed the opinion that the International Monetary Fund should participate in the program.
“We need a conclusive agreement that will include reforms, the evaluation and debt settlement by the end of the year. We need the IMF in the program.”
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