Negotiations with the Troika are currently at a “complex” stage. This was revealed earlier today by Greek government Vice President Evangelos Venizelos, after his meeting with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras at the government headquarters, in which Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis was also present. Venizelos underlined that the ongoing complicated negotiations with Greece’s creditors served two goals. First, the country’s exit from the current program, and second, paving the way for the next day. As he said, Greece’s partners acknowledge that the results on the fiscal front were impressive, although they are still skeptical towards the country mainly because of the political and social climate. The country’s internal situation, which Venizelos described as “sterile and unproductive,” is hampering the negotiations, he said. In addition, the Greek government Vice President noted that both negotiating sides have their own self-evident and legitimate priorities. For Greece, are its national goals, while for the lenders is to prevent the Eurozone from slipping back into a crisis. At the same time, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was striving to carve out its own role and have it extend to areas such as the Eurozone, he said. “In other words, this game is very difficult, very tough and very specific, and we must create the conditions for an unbroken domestic front,” Venizelos stressed, while adding that the message is simple and clear: Greeks must support the effort, while main opposition party SYRIZA must rise to the level of responsibility and maturity demanded by the current conditions. Refuting scenarios that wanted the government’s trust towards Hardouvelis to be trembled, Venizelos declared that the Finance Minister enjoys the government’s absolute support and should not be targeted.
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