Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias has urged a compromise is arrived at in the debt crisis and issued warnings about the consequences of Greece’s possible leaving the eurozone, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.
“Whoever destabilizes Greece, destabilizes Europe” said the Greek minister, speaking at a meeting of the leftist parliamentary group of the German Bundestag in Marburg, Hessen.
In an interview with Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln (WDR, West German Broadcasting Cologne) reported by Deutsche Welle Mr. Kotzias said that “It is not possible for Greece to negotiate effectively as we are threaten every single day. Greece will perish, will die, we do not care, everything will run smoothly without Greece these are opinions expressed during the negotiations and can be summed in the single phrase that if you do mot sign the deal you die. The economy is not able to function as Greek people worry about the security of their money thus taking their money of the financial system”.
Indeed the situation has become critical after depositors withdrew €800m from Greek banks in two days at the end of last week, heightening fears that capital controls may be imminent. Mr. Kotzias assured his government has concrete proposals concerning reforms that will raise revenues, stabilize the greek economy and give an end to the wave of deposit outflows.
During his interview with WDR Mr. Kotsias said that “Europe should serve as an example and a model for the rest of the world.” He further added that “decisions made now have a historical perspective and will influence entire societies. How do we want Europe to be remembered is a vital question, people will look back and wander what Europe did with the Greek crisis? Where its member states able to find a solution? If we fail it will be eminent that there is not a European model for unity among states to be followed by other societies. ”