Tsakalotos on negotiation: Don’t care what the solution is, as long as it is a solution

He was not able to set the date for the return of the representatives of institutions

Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos briefed the Parliament on the progress of negotiation talks, but he was not able to set the date neither for the completion of the program review nor for the return of the representatives of institutions.

What he said to MPs could be summarized in one sentence: “I do not care about what the solution would be, as long as it is a solution”.

“The representatives of institutions came on February 1 and left on February 5. We were then told that they will return in 10 days and I pushed them to return in a week. However, it has been a month since then and they have not come yet,” he told the parliament.

“I do not know if this could be agreed in the Eurogroup… I cannot set a date (for the completion of the program review) because this would create expectations and then disappointments” he mentioned adding:

“What I am saying is that whatever solution we find, if we find, the important thing for the Greek government is that week after the solution – whatever it is – the Financial Times will say that Europeans did not postpone finding a solution of the problem, but they found a solution that will convince that the country is turning a new page”.

“I am not interested in the technical part of the solution. I am interested in the result” Mr. Tsakalotos said.