ECB official meets with FinMin, praises efforts of Greek gov’t and people

Asmussen said there are already results that show the Greek economy has stabilised, while the Greek banking system is now recapitalised. He spoke of a painful effort and expressed his respect for the efforts of the Greek people.

He also said that the

reforms must be continued and he placed emphasis on efforts to fight unemployment, particularly among young people, and to achieve growth rates.

Asked about a possible new “haircut” for the Greek debt, as well as the possibility of a new fiscal programme for Greece, he referred to the decision taken by the Eurogroup last November which stated explicitly that if a primary surplus is achieved, measures will be examined for further debt reduction.

He added that whatever discussions will not begin before the spring of 2014, when the data on the Greek economy for 2013 comes in.

Asmussen is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras at 4.30 pm at the government headquarters of Maximos Mansion.

His visit comes ahead of a review in September by Greece’s troika of lenders that include the ECB, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund.

Source: AMNA