BRUSSELS (MNI) – Greece’s Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos met
Monday morning with Europe’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner
Olli Rehn to discuss Athens’ reform and budget cutting efforts and to
prepare for the Eurogroup meeting later today, according to a statement
issued by the Greek Finance Ministry.
The statement said Venizelos and Rehn talked about the progress
Greece is making in implementing the measures it has agreed to in
exchange for last year’s E110 billion bailout package.
The two also discussed various forms of technical support from the
Commission and other Eurozone countries to help Greece implement the
program.
According to the statement, “Venizelos said the top priority is to
absorb EU funds in a smooth and fast way that will benefit Greece, and
for the EU to provide support in order to help Greece combat tax evasion
and prepare a new national taxation system that will put the country on
a growth path.”
The two also discussed ways in which the Commission could help
Greece implement its promised E50 billion privatization program quickly
and efficiently, the statement said.
The main topic of today’s Eurogroup meeting, it said, will be the
issue of private sector contributions to a new Greek aid package.
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