Greek PM urges creditors to ‘end punitive approaches of the past’
Greece’s left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has called upon the nation’s creditors to “end the punitive approaches of the past,” adding that differences between the Europeans and the International Monetary Fund are harming the Greek economy.
“Greece is finally turning the page,” Tsipras said in an op-ed published Friday in The Wall Street Journal, adding that the country has “overperformed” over the past two years.
“It is vital to proceed with decisive steps regarding Greek debt in a way that no economic cost – not even a penny – would be incurred by European Union taxpayers,” he said.
“The clash between the EU and the IMF over Greece’s public debt deprives our economy of invaluable time, which would set back the long-awaited return to growth,” said Tsipras urging for timely specification of medium- and long-term debt-relief measures to bolster fiscal stability and allow for sustainable growth.
“We are committed to honor our obligations to our creditors, despite the political costs that may entail. But the safest path to this goal is to foster growth and end the punitive approaches of the past,” he said.
