Monday, October 22, 2012
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, on October 19, expressed certainty that a € 31.5 billion tranche of the EC-ECB-IMF bailout package will be disbursed by mid-November, as soon as the troika’s report gets adopted, and new summit will not be required.
Speaking at a press conference, at the end of a two-day EU summit, Samaras noted the fact that the Eurozone summit had issued a final statement exclusively about Greece expressing confidence in Greece's ability to turn things around and thus ensure its future in the euro area.
"I was met with understanding on the part of (EU) leaders, they asked with interest about Greece," the premier said, adding that the attitude towards the country has changed and the immense sacrifices of the Greek people are now being publicly praised.
On the sidelines of the summit, the premier met with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and announced that the French President Francois Hollande as well as the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, have both accepted an invitation to visit Athens, in the coming weeks.
Primeminister.GR: Prime Minister's Press Conference [VIDEO]; Kathimerini: Greek hopes for tranche grow after EU summit
