“ The Greeks are not lazy and Germans are not responsible for all the ills of Greece. We must work hard to overcome these stereotypes ,” said Mr Tsipras to occasion of his first official visit to Berlin, a little less than two months after taking office.
An intention as defended by Angela Merkel at a joint press conference after the first interview a little over an hour between the two leaders were to continue at a dinner.
In an atmosphere rather nice, contrasting sharply with the high tension draping the first meeting in February, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble with his counterpart Yanis Varoufakis, Alexis Tsipras praised Merkel listening quality while the Chancellor assured that “ both countries wanted to live together and were both parts of the European Union “.
“ We need to better understand us, there is no other way than dialogue ,” said Mr Tsipras, came without a tie.
The Chancellor admitted “ difficult questions ” and “ disagreements ” between Athens and Berlin, but she assured wanting to “ a cooperation in a spirit of mutual trust “and” an economically strong Greece “.
– liquidity problems –
Alexis Tsipras insisted that “ the bailout (Greece) was not a success “, while claiming not to want not” destroy the positive recent years “, but find” a new policy mix to solve problems “.
The Greek official assured not coming to Berlin to ask for money, and recalled that “ Medium-term liquidity problems ” country “ were known “and that he had” Inherited “.
Faced with substantial repayments while its coffers are almost empty, Athens awaits the release of at least part of the last tranche of loans (€ 7.2 billion) provided in connection with the extension of financial aid decided on February 20 by the Europeans.
Without a release short-term funds, “ will be + not + to Athens to ensure the debt service over the next weeks ,” warned Prime Greek Minister in a letter dated March 15 and revealed Monday by the Financial Times. Alexis Tsipras pledged in Brussels on Friday to promptly submit detailed reforms necessary condition of paying extra money, while the Commission announced making available of Athens “ two billion euros for the 2015 “.
Angela Merkel stressed that it was not for Germany to decide the quality of the reforms by Greece, but to all countries in the euro zone. Mr Tsipras has not clarified its intentions and claimed to have brought something with him in Berlin: “ the beautiful Greek time “.
If the atmosphere was actually cordiality between Mr. Tsipras and Merkel, that did not stop the Greek Prime Minister to hand over sensitive subjects on the carpet.
He thus sought the support of Berlin in a huge corruption case involving in particular the German industrialist Siemens-old almost a decade and has been referred to court.
He has certainly not failed to re-emphasize the repairs requested by Athens for crimes of the Nazi regime during the Second World War.
“ This is not a hard question, but first a moral and ethical issue that we need to work ,” said Alexis Tsipras, refusing to link this request the issue of the current financial crisis in the country.
The file is “ legally closed “, he once again replied Angela Merkel.
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