Eurogroup chief Mario Centeno welcomed the deal on Greek debt relief and the exit from the bailout programme at a news conference in the early morning hours today, after a marathon Eurogroup meeting in Luxembourg.
Centeno hailed Greece’s exit from the bailout memorandum, noting that Athens has successfully completed all 88 of the prior actions.
He said that a total of over 450 reforms have been completed, many of them painful for the Greek people, and that the reform path will continue.
ECB chief Mario Draghi said that the viability of the Greek debt has improved in the medium term after yesterday’s Eurogroup decisions, and that the completion of all prior actions presages a successful bailout exit in August.
Draghi said that it is crucial for Greece to remain on the path of reform and fiscal discipline.
He also welcomed the stated readiness of the Eurogroup to examine long-term debt relief measures in the event that there are negative economic developments.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde said she shared the view of the Europeans that this is an historic moment after a difficult period for the eurozone over the last years.
Lagarde said that the IMF welcomes the measures taken by Greece, and that she notes the commitment of Greece’s eurozone partners to take new debt relief measures if necessary.
