Hollande says Greece must remain in euro
Europe must take a decision quickly on the future of Greece once the troika report from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund is completed in October, French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday.
Hollande and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras both told reporters after a meeting in Paris that Greece must remain in the euro zone.
“On the European side, we are waiting for the troika report…Once we have this report, once the commitments…are confirmed, Europe has to do what it has to do,» Hollande said.
“We’ve been facing this question for 2-1/2 years, there’s no time to lose, there are commitments to reaffirm on both sides, decisions to take, and the sooner the better, that means after the troika report at the European summit in October.”
Samaras met with Hollande as part of Greece’s ongoing charm offensive aimed at securing more lenient terms in exchange for the country’s multi-billion-euro bailout from international creditors.
The visit came after a trip to Berlin where Samaras had talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel who stressed her support for Greece remaining in the eurozone as long as it makes good on commitments to creditors.
Meanwhile the office of socialist PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos — the second party in the three-member coalition government — issued a statement saying that Venizelos and Hollande had spoken by telephone. Venizelos presented Hollande with Greece’s «national strategy,» the Greek socialist chief’s office said.
[Reuters/Kathimerini]
