Commission expects signatures - The Best from Greece

Greece must provide written confirmation to its European partners that it is committed to reforms to bring down its debt, no matter who wins the next elections, the European Commission said on November 15.

 

"The Eurogroup as a whole expects Greece, the Greek political forces, to provide a clear and unequivocal commitment to the agreement ... and we expect this in writing. It has to be a letter and signed," Commission spokesman on economic and monetary affairs Amadeu Altafaj told reporters.

 

"It has to convince the European partners of Greece that there is strong commitment and that it will be followed by decisive action by all political forces, whatever happens in the future elections in Greece. We are not saying exactly how this has to be written down, but in any case it has to convince all European partners of Greece."

 

The state needs to get the next, 8bn euro tranche of emergency loans from the euro zone and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by mid-December to be able to honour its international debt obligations.

 

But eurozone finance ministers asked on November 7 for a written commitment to reforms associated with the second multi-annual financing programme for Greece from all political parties in Greece, before the next tranche of aid is paid. (Reuters)