'The Return to Normality Has Already Begun,' PM Samaras Says

"The return to normality has already begun," Prime Minister Antonis Samaras stated here on Friday, shortly after the end of a summit for the leaders of Eurozone countries. He said that negotiations were continuing on all levels and that nothing was concluded yet.

"However, everyone acknowledges that Greece has achieved a lot and that it is slowly returning to security," he added.

Samaras repeated that Greece was in talks with its creditors regarding the 'day after' the end of the current programme. The aim was for the country to go forward on a safe course, and with security and due caution to exit the great adversity experienced by the Greek people in recent years, he added.

The prime minister also underlined that the review of the current programme will be wrapped up by December: "We cannot have what happened in the past, we must be done with the review by December and we will be done by December."

Referring to the Cyprus issue, the Greek premier noted that he had represented the Cyprus Republic at the EU leaders' summit, with the authorisation of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades. He said he was "very satisfied" with the references to Cyprus in the summit's final conclusions, which urged Turkey "to respect Cyprus' sovereignty over its territorial sea and Cyprus' sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone."