Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann earlier today in Vienna, where he was jubilantly accepted. A large number of Greeks residing in Vienna, as well as Austrians, had gathered in front of the Chancellery shouting slogans and holding banners asking, among others, to write off Greece’s debt. The Greek Premier saluted in return and thanked the gathered crowd. The Austrian Chancellor welcomed Tsipras in the presence of a large number of representatives of the foreign press and TV crews underlining the international media’s huge interest for the developments. After the meeting, Tsipras appeared optimistic that Greece will soon come to a viable and beneficial agreement for both sides with its European partners, while Faymann highlighted that Greece must stay in the Eurozone and that a commonly accepted solution should be found. At the same time, he said, the commitments toward Europe must also be respected, although these commitments should not further burden Greek citizens. Regarding the mutually beneficial solution, Tsipras said that “so far, we have not heard a viable alternative,” adding that there is no reason not to come to an agreement if there is not a persistence in error. If for such a reason a solution is not found, our common European future itself is under threat, he underlined. In addition, the Greek Premier thanked the Austrian Chancellor for his statement that those who invest in a disaster will be proved wrong, while citing Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis who said that a possible disaster might lead to the rise of extreme right elements, as it has already happened in Greece, due to the extreme austerity policy of the latest years. Furthermore, Tsipras said that the Greek government’s plan proposed to its partners will “lift the temporary impasse” and will not charge European tax payers a single cent, since it aims to the abolition of further loans in order to cover the country’s needs. Additionally, he characterized an interim agreement -which will be in effect from February until July 1- as “necessary.” “In this way, Greece will obtain the necessary fiscal space and necessary reform time to start implementing the program for the fight against corruption and tax evasion, and the public sector’s reorganization,” he concluded.
 |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |