Greek PM hails Eurogroup deal
A deal on Greek debt hammered out this week is crucial for restoring liquidity in the economy and restoring the country’s credibility, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said Thursday.
“We can make this and we will make this if we are united,” Samaras said during a meeting with Karolos Papoulias on Thursday in which he briefed the Greek President about Tuesday’s Eurogroup agreement on Greece.
The meeting is still in progress.
After nearly 10 hours of talks at their third meeting on the issue in as many weeks, Greece’s international lenders on Tuesday agreed to reduce Greek debt by 40 billion euros, cutting it to 124 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, via a package of steps.
During the meeting Thursday, Papoulias called for steps to curb unemployment and strengthen social justice.
“It is very important that we manage to fight youth unemployment and to make steps toward greater social justice for those who are shouldering the burden,” he said.
Greece has the highest youth unemployment rate in the eurozone and the second highest overall jobless rate, according to recent figures.
