Brussels, le 18/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Talks on the outstanding issues between Greece and its lenders are continuing in the different headquarters, explained the European Commission in a press release issued in the evening of Wednesday 17 October. Experts from the troika (the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund) left Athens after reaching agreement on most of the measures needed to launch reforms, said the Commission, hoping that this encouraging situation would pave the way for completion of the assessment of implementation of the country's structural adjustment programme accompanying the second Greek bailout. This is required for the release next month of the next instalment of aid, more than €30 billion, most of it to boost Greek banks. On Wednesday, a European Commission spokesperson hoped full agreement would be reached in the next few days (see EUROPE 10712).
Greece has had enough of being the EU's weakest link. Speaking from the congress of the European People's Party (EPP) in Bucharest (see separate article), Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras said: “If the 'weakest link' proves strong enough, then the whole Union will come out stronger vis-à-vis the rest of the world,” said Samaras, saying that there had to be hope alongside the sacrifices of the Greek people, to give them meaning. On Thursday, as Samaras set off for the summit in Brussels, tens of thousands of Greeks were protesting in the streets against the new austerity measures required by the country's lenders. (EL/transl.fl)