Greece has met prior actions bar one, PM says after meeting Barroso

The Greek premier presented the priorities of Greece’s European Union presidency in the first half of 2014, noting that this was taking place at a crucial time for both Greece and Europe, and promising a successful presidency of “opportunities” rather than crisis.

The head of the European

Commission, on his part, stressed that Greece has made “impressive progress” and forecast that the country will emerge from the current recession in 2014, underlining the Commission’s support for Greece’s efforts to exit the crisis.

Praising the determination shown by the Greek government and the Greek people in this effort, he noted that the country was on the right track for achieving a primary surplus and simultaneously improving the investment climate. Among others, Barroso referred to the resumption of work to improve Greek highways, noting that these projects will generate thousands of new jobs.

He also warned, however, that the state of the Greek economy remains fragile and that this is no time for complacency, calling for sustained effort on structural reforms, privatisations and improving the business environment.

“We are traversing the last kilometres of a Marathon,” he remarked pointedly.

Concerning Greece’s plans in its stint as EU presidency, Samaras particularly emphasised the need to create new jobs as a top priority.

In terms of deepening Economic and Monetary Union, especially plans for banking union, the Greek premier said it was essential to achieve a deal on a Single Resolution Mechanism before the European Parliament elections.

Other crucial issues highlighted by Samaras were those of illegal migration, managing external borders and European security, as well as EU maritime policy.

“It is an ambitious and realistic agenda,” he concluded.

In comments on the state of the Greek economy, Samaras also referred to “impressive progress” in both fiscal and structural reforms and underlined that the programme was anything but derailed. On the contrary, he said, Greece had achieved its targets and was achieving a primary surplus one year earlier than scheduled.

Noting that only one of the prior actions demanded by the troika had not been met, he appeared confident that the troika’s review would be completed with a positive outcome.

“The end of a marathon is always the hardest,” the Greek prime minister pointed out but disputed that the country was undergoing “reform fatigue,” stressing that Greeks had instead shown resilience. He also stated that structural reforms being carried out in Greece were essential, regardless of the troika’s presence or the economic crisis.

Barroso, similarly, expressed confidence that a resolution in negotiations with the troika will be found and that its review of the programme will be favourable.

Samaras arrived in Brussels on Wednesday to present the Greek EU presidency’s priorities to the College of the Commissioners, in a meeting to be held after that with Barroso.

Source: AMNA