French FinMin, PM discuss Greek debt
French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici discussed Greece’s economic problems and reform efforts on Thursday in talks with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Athens.
Sources said that the talks were very cordial and focused on issues of concern to both Greece and Europe ahead of Friday’s informal Eurogroup summit in Nicosia.
Moscovici was also scheduled to meet Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras, Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos before leaving for Nicosia where he is to join his eurozone counterparts for talks expected to assess the debt problems of Spain and to a lesser extent Greece.
The French envoy’s talks with Stournaras were expected to focus on the next tranche of rescue funding that Greece is hoping to secure from foreign creditors, a sum of 31.5 billion euros.
In an interview with Kathimerini ahead of his visit, Moscovici expressed his government?s full backing for Greece?s membership of the eurozone but stressed the need for Athens to push through reforms and regain credibility with its partners.
