(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
[워싱턴=AP/KNS뉴스통신] 에반젤로스 베니젤로스 그리스 재무장관은 그리스 채권 등급의 하향 조정 압력에도 불구하고 긍정적인 신호를 보낸 것으로 알려졌다.
지난 25일 무디스는 지난 주 EU의 구제금융 안이 발표된 이후 그리스가 실질적으로 지불 불능 사태 (디폴트)에 빠진 것으로 발표했다.
지난 주 유로 존 국가들과 국제통화기금은 일 년 전에 제공했던 1,100억 유로에 추가해서 2차 구제금융 1,090억 유로 (1,550억 달러)를 지원하기로 결정했다.
이번 그리스에 대한 예상보다 더 광범위한 구제 금융 지원에도 불구하고 무디스는 그리스가 부채문제를 해결하는데 오랜 세월과 힘든 조정과정이 필요할 것으로 우려하고 있다.
미국 티모시 가이스너 재무장관은 그리스가 경제 개혁에 박차를 가해야 할 것으로 말한 것으로 성명서에서 발표했다.
그리스 재무장관은 확고한 긴축조치와 더불어 국유재산 매각계획이 금융 안정화에 열쇠라고 언급하고 2012년에는 경제성장을 달성할 수 있을 것으로 말했다.
(영문기사 원문)
Greek finance minister downplays bond downgrade
WASHINGTON (AP) — Greece's Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos is offering a positive spin on the move by a major ratings agency to downgrade Greek bond ratings.
On Monday, Moody's said that it is almost inevitable the country will be considered to be in default following last week's new EU bailout package.
Asked about the development following a speech in Washington, Evangelos pointed to the agency's conclusion that the new package will help Greece stabilize its debt.
"For the first time in the last two years, we have positive signals from the international financial community," he said at The Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund last week agreed to give Greece a second bailout worth euro 109 billion ($155 billion), on top of the euro 110 billion granted in rescue loans a year ago.
If all goes to plan, banks and other private investors will contribute some euro 50 billion ($71 billion) to the rescue package until 2014 by swapping Greek bonds that they hold for new ones with lower interest rates or slightly lower face value, or selling the bonds back to Greece at a low price.
But despite a package that was more comprehensive than many in the markets had predicted, Moody's said it is going to take many years of hard adjustment for Greece to get complete control of its debts.
Venizelos said he had discussed the new plan in meetings Monday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
In a statement Treasury Department spokeswoman Nathalie Wyeth said that Geithner urged Greece to press on with economic reforms.
"Secretary Geithner welcomed the progress Greece has already made toward strengthening its public finances and underscored the need for continued and full implementation of the program," she said.
In his speech, Venizelos called U.S. support, especially through its weight within the IMF essential. The IMF has not yet said how much it will commit to the new bailout package. Venizelos, said that Greece and European partners welcome IMF involvement.
"The Eurozone is open to the participation and assistance of the IMF which has a vast experience and know-how," he said.
Venizelos said that Greece is committed to its austerity measures and stressed that a privatization plan would be key to stabilizing its finances.
"Now the key point is to implement the program," he said in his speech. "Our goal is to return to positive growth and create primary surpluses by 2012."
김희광 기자 april4241@naver.com
