Informal meeting of ECOFIN Council (Wrocław, 16-17/9/2011) – Participation of Greek Finance Minister, E. Venizelos

Government Vice-President and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos attended informal Eurogroup and Ecofin meetings in Wroclaw, Poland, on September 16-17. Speaking to reporters following the meetings, Venizelos said he briefed the Council over decisions taken by the Greek government to achieve fiscal targets for 2011 and 2012, and towards reaching primary budget surplus the soonest possible.

Venizelos said that it is a common position within the Eurozone that all decisions taken during the July 21 EU Summit must be fully implemented and stressed that “an international environment has been fuelling uncertainty, which affects the implementation of Eurozone decisions and our policies’ performance, ones aimed at dealing with the debt crisis. This vicious circle must end.” 

Meanwhile, following a meeting of the governmental committee in Athens, yesterday, chaired by Prime Minister George Papandreou , Venizelos said that the Government takes full responsibility for the implementation of the agreed programme, but this responsibility must be also taken by all European institutions, all member-states, because the July decisions, the decisions of the European Council have an existential significance for the Euro Area.

Polish EU Presidency: Presidency Communique on the informal meeting of the ECOFIN Council
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

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Resilient Greek Economy

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)     The Greek economy showed resilience in the first three months of 2008, expanding by a better-than-expected annual rate of 3.6% in the first quarter of 2008, compared with the corresponding period last year, said the National Statistics Service .  Meanwhile, according to the Eurostat figures, gross domestic product (GDP) in the 15 eurozone countries rose by 0.7% in the January – March period against the previous quarter, thus recording a 2.2% year-on-year rise. As regards Greece, the country’s economy rose by 1.1%, in comparison with the previous quarter and by 3.6%, compared with the first quarter of 2007.