Greece will remain under supervision after it exits its current bailout program next year, the head of the group of euro zone finance ministers told a Greek newspaper on Saturday.
Greece aims to exit its 86-billion-euro bailout, its third since its debt crisis exploded in 2010, in August next year. By then, Athens hopes to have fully returned to market financing.
“In all cases we have applied supervision after the completion of support programs, as happened in Ireland, Spain, Cyprus,” Jeroen Dijsselbloem told Ta Nea newspaper.
Dijsselbloem is expected in Athens on Monday to meet Greek officials, including Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos.
Tsakalotos has said he does not expect Greece to need a precautionary credit line from its official lenders when it exits its bailout next year.
“The common goal of the Greek government and its European partners must be that August 2018 will be the end of the (bailout) program. We must ensure that Greece will be fully prepared,” Dijsselbloem told the paper.
He said Greece’s economy is faring better after a deep, multi-year recession but reforms should continue for the remainder of the bailout program and after August 2018.
“The chronic and structural problems were among the crucial factors that led Greece to the crisis,” Dijsselbloem said.
