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Greek finance minister rejects euro exit scenario

07 May 2011 23:49 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou strongly rejected on Saturday the "dangerous" scenario of a Greek exit from the euro zone circulated in foreign media over the past 24 hours, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"The issue of a Greek exit from the euro zone was not raised and is not raised,"said Papaconstantinou during a press briefing he called shortly after his return from Luxembourg.

The Greek government examines only the possibility that "Greek bonds be bought by the European Support Fund on the basis of the recent European Council decision, if Greece will not return to markets according to schedule," he added.

Clarifying that informal meetings of euro zone finance ministers, such as the one chaired by Eurogroup President Jean- Claude Juncker in Luxembourg on Friday, are not always announced to the press, Papaconstantinou said that the discussion on Greece focused on the next steps to be taken in the context of the agreed plan to exit the debt crisis.

Germany’s "Der Spiegel" magazine caused a furor, claiming that during the meeting on the agenda was a plan for a Greek withdrawal from the euro zone.

"If the report was not so dangerous as funny, we would not even comment,"said Papaconstantinou, stressing what was Greece discusses this period are the next steps to exit the crisis by 2014 under the European Financial Stabilization Mechanism.

"I call on everybody, especially within the EU, to leave Greece in peace to do its job," said Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou earlier on Saturday during a visit to the Greek western island of Lefkada, referring to the latest "speculation which amounts to crime."