Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (R) meets with European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici at the presidential office in Athens, Greece, on July 3, 2018. Europe will continue to stand by Greece in the new post-bailout chapter opening this summer, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici said during a visit to Athens on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
ATHENS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Europe will continue to stand by Greece in the new post-bailout chapter opening this summer, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici said during a visit to Athens on Tuesday.
"I am certain that Greece will once again have your support in this path, which, as we all know, will be easier and brings hope," Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said welcoming the European official after the June 21 Eurogroup agreement which set the framework for Greece' s exit from the bailout programs in August after eight years and future steps.
"We will continue to stand by the side of our Greek friends with solidarity and support and this new page which is opening should be a page of fair growth," Moscovici said, during the conversation which was broadcast on Greek public broadcaster ERT.
During talks with the Greek government and MPs, the Commissioner congratulated Greece for the successful end of the program, stressing that more work needs to be done to boost growth and improve the daily life of Greek people who have suffered during the crisis.
In any occasion, Moscovici underlined that Greece can continue to count on the support of its European partners after August 20.
"There is no more program for Greece, there won't be any new program for Greece and Greece now stands on its own two feet with its own growth program and its European partners sitting, standing nearby Greece," he said in joint press statements with Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos after their meeting here.
"The Greek government, the European Commission and many others helped Greece to turn page and obviously this is a positive development for Greece and Europe as well," the Greek minister added.
The conclusion of the Greek program is a victory for Greece and the euro zone, Moscovici said, addressing a joint meeting of parliamentary committees on "A new chapter for Greece".
"The fact is that after all Greece managed to have a successful conclusion of the last bailout program. This is a historical change," Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said welcoming the Commissioner to his office.
"I think that people will start feeling the change day by day, but the most significant fact for Greece is that from now and then the elected governments will have the right to choose the means with which they will reach the goals, the targets in the framework of our common European decisions," the Greek prime minister stressed.
