Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his coalition partner, PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, met Wednesday with Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis and other key cabinet members to finalize Greece’s strategy for the crucial meeting with Troika officials in Paris next week. Government officials examined Greece’s progress in implementing reforms so far, as well as loose ends – mainly relating to the second phase of pension reforms and a plan to deal with the large number of “red” loans held by Greek banks. Samaras asked for full coordination ahead of the Troika meeting in Paris on September 2, in order to attain the best possible outcome for the country, during a preparatory consultation with various ministers on Wednesday evening at the government headquarters. The Prime Minister used the example of Wednesday’s Greek bond rally to emphasize the improvement of Greek economy’s course, as well as the improved attitude of international markets towards Greece. Today, preparations for next week’s talks in Paris are to continue at a ministerial level. Hardouvelis will meet with all ministers participating in the Paris meeting with the Troika, so as to coordinate their efforts towards satisfying the remaining commitments. Approximately 80% of the commitments the government has agreed to with the Troika have already been materialized. Venizelos said that the Greek program’s new evaluation, taking place during autumn, must signal the change of the country’s attitude and its final exit from the crisis. “This must be understood by everyone, inside and outside of Greece,” noted Venizelos. Venizelos, for his part, is said to have pressed Labor and Social Insurance Minister Yiannis Vroutsis to strenuously resist possible demands by Troika representatives for further increases of retirement ages and interventions affecting labor rights of Greek workers.
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