EUROZONE-GREECE/TOURISTS EUROGROUP European tourists say Greece negotiations will take time

Record ID: 147470

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/TOURISTS EUROGROUP European tourists say Greece negotiations will take time
  • Date: 12th July 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 12, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS MARCHING TOWARDS GREEK PARLIAMENT TOURISTS WATCHING
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA46ALR4V3J4JB9ZB81GVFKU2C0
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CORRECTS FINAL LINE OF SCRIPT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT EUROZONE LEADERS ARE MEETING IN BRUSSELS
    European tourists watching the weekly changing of the guard at the parliament in Athens with its traditional dress and stylised choreography said on Sunday (July 12) that Greek debt negotiations in Brussels would take time.
    As the sun shone in Greece, Eurogroup finance ministers were preparing to resume talks in Brussels to achieve a debt deal for Greece, and keep it from marching towards an exit from the eurozone.
    A tense Eurogroup session broke up late on Saturday (July 11) as deep divisions persisted between Greece and its eurozone partners, with some hardline countries voicing support for a German government paper that recommended Greece take a five-year "time-out" from the bloc.
    Ministers said that progress was slow because of a lack of trust between the Greek government and its partners after months of fractious political wrangling, and some tourists in Athens agreed.
    "I think that the loss of trust by the German government and the other European partners is very big, which means it'll all take a bit longer, They won't say 'Yes, OK' straight away. So I think it's going to carry on into the next week," German tourist Henry Littig said after watching the changing of the guard.
    Many who attended the elaborate display in the shadow of the Greek parliament, including Belgian tourist Roger, voiced support for the government and its efforts to resist the fiscal hardliners in the Eurogroup.
    The ministers agreed in principle to seek ways to ease Greece's debt burden by extending loan maturities and other steps stopping short of a "haircut" or writedown, and French tourist Dominique said that the current level of Greek debt was unsustainable.
    "There's lots of stake which means that there's nothing to be gained for the image of Europe or for Greece itself by them leaving. But that Greece isn't just propped up by all the other countries, that it brings something to the table, that's obviously something that has to happen," another French tourist Jean-Christophe said before setting off on a tour of the Greek islands with his family.
    The sense of the country's history hung in the air as the tourists watched the traditional display, but they said years of mismanagement of the country's finances had left it reeling, and that whatever happened at the Eurogroup, it was clear that reforms were necessary.
    A full summit of European leaders scheduled for the afternoon was cancelled leaving eurozone leaders to meet separately in Brussels.
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