Eurozone will judge the agreement with Finland

Finance minister Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement, after the request of other urozone countries (Holland, Austria etc), that Greece provide them with collateral or other guarantees as it did with Finland:

“As I stated yesterday, the financial scheme we have reached in our discussions with the Finns is subject to approval by other Eurozone member states. The debate began today at the technical working group and will continue next week at the level of the representatives of ministers (Euro Working Group). Meanwhile, for the past few days, I have been in contact with my counterparts.

As a member state of the Eurozone, Greece respects and implements the decisions of the Summit of July 21, 2011. We have shown our goodwill and flexibility not only in implementing the new Greek program, but also in sending a clear, positive message as to the capability and readiness of the Eurozone to manage the new phase of the crisis, which is not only or mainly Greek.

While holding these difficult and delicate negotiations, it is careless and irresponsible to say the least for opposition forces to be hasty, alarmist or take delight in the fact that there are problems, as if that were something new or unexpected.

To invest in a politically negative development means to move lower than the required level of national responsibility, and it also leads to a political dead end, because no one will gain from a negative development which, in spite of those who invest in it, will not come as long as we are serious and responsible as a nation.”