Greek FinMin Yanis Varoufakis continued to express optimism over reaching an agreement with eurozone creditors following the sudden and disappointing Eurogroup meeting on Monday in Brussels.
“I have no doubt that within the next 48 hours Europe is going to come together and we shall find the phrasing that’s necessary so that we can submit it and move on to do the real work that is necessary.”
Amongst others, he claimed he was previously handed an “acceptable agreement” which, however, was suddenly withdrawn.
He told a packed press room in Brussels – shown live on most free-to-air Greek TV stations – that the acceptable EU Commission deal was withdrawn minutes before Monday’s Eurogroup meeting.
Varoufakis said it was “impossible” for the Athens government to accept the current offer despite “our infinite goodwill”.
Additionally, he said he was confident that “any notion of an ultimatum” to extend the current Greek bailout deal will evaporate this week, and stressed that his radical leftist government would not be pressured into changing its stance.
“We want an honorable settlement.”
“…the current bailout agreement … is ‘part of the problem, not the solution’.”
