Speaking on the BBC2’s Newsnight, Greek FinMin Yanis Varoufakis attributed the (mostly negative) impression surrounding his meeting with Eurogoup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem on Friday to a “lost in translation” syndrome.

However, Varoufakis repeated that the Greek government “will talk with institutions and not with Troika employees”.

During his televised BBC interview the flamboyant Greek minister repeatedly asked the television presenter, Emily Maitlis, to stop interrupting him, while he accused the BBC’s reporters in Athens of misrepresenting his comments.

Varoufakis said Athens is ready to sit down and talk to the IMF, the EU, the ECB and each EU member-states but according to him, the troika has two levels:
An institutional one, “which we are ready to talk with and negotiate with; and a second one of officials… who are good people, and I have nothing against them … but they call for a program of implementation by checking numbers on an unworkable program that does not produce results.”

Among others, the once self-described “libertarian communist” said he favors Chinese multinational Cosco’s concession at the port of Piraeus — in opposition to the relevant shipping minister who said this week that the new leftist government will “axe” a tender to further privatize Greece’s biggest port.
Finally, asked if he trusts Germany, he replied: “yes, i do trust Germany”.