Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras traveled to Paris today, where he met with OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Secretary General Angel Gurria in order to discuss a possible Organization event taking place in Greece and focusing on the government’s reforms program. The meeting was followed by an agreement signing between the two men and a joint press conference. According to Greek government sources, Tsipras reportedly discussed the reforms currently being planned in Athens, aiming to restore public administration and social justice, as well as tackle the long-standing problem of tax evasion. “The OECD will provide Greece with the know-how regarding the design and implementation of reforms, which is the Greek government’s priority. In the long term, it will help the Greek side implement and evaluate not only the progress of reforms but also their effectiveness,” a Greek official explained, while an OECD official has also confirmed that a deal had been signed. On his behalf, Tsipras highlighted that Greece can meet its financial obligations even if does not receive a further bailout installment. “There is no reason for concern… even if there is no timely disbursement of a tranche, Greece will meet its obligations,” he said. Regarding the meeting concluded earlier, he said that “we are here in order for the OECD to put its stamp on the reforms that the Greek government wants to push on and I believe that this stamp in our passport will be very significant to build mutual trust with our creditors.” Tomorrow, the Greek Premier will travel to Brussels, where he will be received by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and finally meet SYRIZA MEP and iconic Greek left figure Manolis Glezos in what is seen as an attempt to ease intraparty reactions to governmental plans. Yesterday, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, in an interview to Athens-Macedonian News Agency noted that “it would be a major mistake to approach the Greek and European crises within a framework of alliances and such bilateral agreements; the Eurozone crisis, which the crisis in the Greek economy is a part of, is a problem for all of us and all Eurozone member-states,” while quoting European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi who recently argued that for the single currency to be successful, it must succeed everywhere. Commenting on the OECD’s role, Varoufakis explained that it will provide technical know-how and seminars on various issues, such as taxation, corruption and reforms in order to compose an efficient program.
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