Speaking on German TV, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said the Greek government is doing everything in its power to make sure that the country’s creditors get their money back. Moreover, he promised that pensions in the countrty will be paid on time this month.

During an interview to German national broadcaster ARD, Varoufakis called for ‘reasonable agreements’ that will give Greece the time to achieve growth and repay its debts.

“Neither Angela Merkel nor Mario Draghi want Europe to be divided. We want a successful Europe, a successful euro zone,” Varoufakis noted, adding that a European split up would be a disastrous scenario for both Greece and the rest of Europe.

Commenting on the decades-old problem of tax evasion in Greece and the government’s plans to deal with it, he said: “We want to cooperate with our European partners to make sure that the Greeks who send their money abroad in order to avoid paying taxes will be caught and punished.”

Varoufakis also added that a cross-checking process of tax statements with deposits abroad is currently underway.