The meeting between Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and his German counterpart Olaf Scholz on Friday was held in a positive atmosphere, according to finance ministry’s sources.
Speaking to amna,the same sources said that they exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and European policy, adding that the discussions will continue.
Earlier the German Federal Finance Ministry posted about the meeting in Berlin on Twitter, reporting that the two ministers had “Good talks toward a new strong partnership.”
Mit guten Gesprächen in eine neue starke Partnerschaft – Bundesfinanzminister @OlafScholz trifft den griechischen Finanzminister Euclid Tsakalotos in Berlin
🇩🇪🇬🇷 #bilaterals 🇪🇺 #Europe pic.twitter.com/46D6jpf1dI— BMF (@BMF_Bund) April 13, 2018
It was the first time, the Greek fiance minister met with his new German counterpart from the Social-democrats party. the two will meet again at the Spring Summit of the International Monetary Fund in Washington.
Athens has hoped that the new German finance minister will be free from the fixed ideas of his predecessor, Mister austerity, Wolfgang Schaeuble.
The German SPD and Scholz had supported debt relief for Greece, but they also have to take into consideration the hardliners’ objections in Merkel’s party CDU and sister CSU in Bavaria.
For sure, Tsakalotos and Scholz discussed the issue of the debt relief, the bailout prerequisites, the course after the exit from the bailout program in August as well as about the growth plan of the Greek government.
Details have not been leaked to the press so far.
However, the German ministry spokesman reiterated the known position that decisions with regards to the debt relief will be taken after the program exit.
