A closely watched meeting between Greek PM Alexis Tsipras and German European Parliament president Martin Schulz lasted for almost two hours on Thursday at the Maximos Mansion government house, marking the former’s first official meeting with a top European leader since becoming premier.

Schulz thanked Tsipras for extending him the honor of being the first top official to meet with the new Greek PM.

in continuing the pleasantries before the cameras, Tsipras said his talks with the EU Parliament president were constructive and added that these contacts are helping form a new-found trust.

“For four years, the Greek people experienced the failure of a program … The people paid for the inappropriate relationship between the economic oligarchy and the old political regime that protected it,” was Tsipras’ statement.

“I reassured Mr. Schulz that the Greek government is ready to end this inappropriate relationship”.

“We have a plan for reforms and a plan for productive reconstruction”.

On his part, Schulz termed the fact that Tsipras is seeking an amiable solution as a very positive message.

The Greek PM greeted the German social democrat on the steps of his office with a friendly embrace. In his bid to “break the ice”, the Euro-parliament chief joked to reporters about the radical Greek leftist’s habit of not wearing a necktie.