Greek ministers hail recovery and hint at bond issue in 2014
SENIOR Greek ministers were in a bullish move as the country took up its six-month presidency of the European Union, claiming that the troubled Mediterranean state could return to the bond market this year.
Speaking at the presidency’s launch ceremony yesterday, finance minister Yannis Stournaras and foreign minister Evangelos Venizelos talked up Greece’s recovery from economic crisis.
“No other country during peacetime has achieved as much as Greece has achieved since 2009,” Stournaras said, also suggesting that the terms of the country’s bailout package should be eased in order to help it recover further. The pair were coy over the prospect of another tranche of rescue loans, yet Stournaras said he would not accept more conditions of fiscal restraint.
Bailout funds from the EU, IMF and European Central Bank have so far been granted under the condition that Greece cuts its deficit and implements reforms.
The finance minister added that Greece would attempt a five-year bond issue later in 2014.