Venizelos, Schaeuble in Berlin Call for Completion of Greece's Fiscal Programme

Greece has left a difficult time behind and succeeded in its reforms, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in Berlin after meeting with Greek Vice-President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Wednesday.

At joint statements after the meeting, Schaeuble said, "Greece has left difficult years behind it. These years are successful; the reforms made a lot of progress. Today, Greece is, economically and as regards fiscal indicators, in a better position that most thought possible three of four years ago. This shows that the course of solidarity and reforms was the right one. It was a tiring path for the Greek people, but it was worth it."

Speaking about the Eurogroup's decision to grant Greece a two-month extension to complete its fiscal adjustment programme - a decision that must be finalised by national parliaments of eurozone states - the German minister said that the Eurogroup is "prepared for a successful outcome of the programme, to provide a preventive line of credit, but this is a step for after the successful completion of the current programme."

The extension of the programme to the end of February instead of December 31 will allow Greece to complete it and the troika of Greece's lenders to provide the final evaluation before the last loan tranche is released.