Angela Merkel visits Greece
Chancellor Angela Merkel has paid a two-day visit to Greece, where she met with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and President Prokopis Pavlopoulos. She also spoke with creative artists, scientists and representatives of the business community. Angela Merkel said she is particularly happy that unemployment has fallen in Greece.
Chancellor Angela Merkel at the press conference with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
Photo: Bundesregierung/Denzel
Before the start of her trip Chancellor Angela Merkel underscored the close relations that link Germany and Greece. The two countries enjoy a wide spectrum of bilateral relations, she said, and Greece is also a partner within the European Union and NATO.
Angela Merkel: the Greek people have difficult times behind them
On her arrival in Athens the Chancellor met Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for an exchange of views. They discussed bilateral, European and international issues.
After their meeting, Angela Merkel looked back at the very hard times that followed the financial crisis. The Greek people, she said, have very, very difficult times behind them. On the one hand, Greece was given support, and Germany did its bit, but it was a time when "above all the people in Greece had to go through painful structural reforms that impacted severely on individuals, especially those who had no work".
Greece able to leave assistance programme
Angela Merkel stressed, "That is why I am delighted that we can see today that the situation has changed. Unemployment is down and Greece has left the assistance programme." That does not signal the end of reform, but it is a new situation.
Commenting on the dispute over the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Chancellor declared, "I am grateful that Alexis Tsipras has taken the initiative on this matter. I believe it is a crucially important step that will benefit not only Greece and the future North Macedonia, but Europe as a whole and our shared values."
Athens, 10 January 2019: Chancellor Angela Merkel's two-day trip to Greece began with a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
"We were coming from very different standpoints and had to learn to work well together. But we have learned to work well together, even where we have held very different views," said Angela Merkel following their meeting.
Athens, 11 January 2019: The next day Angela Merkel visited the tomb of the unknown soldier.
She paid tribute to the war dead with a one-minute silence.
Later, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, President of the Hellenic Republic, received Angela Merkel at the presidential palace.
Angela Merkel stressed that Germany is very much interested not only in Greece being a member of the European Union, but in it being a strong member.
From the presidential palace the Chancellor went on to the German school in Athens, where the German and Greek students gave her a warm welcome.
Angela Merkel discussed the future of Europe with students.
Meeting with the President and civil society
Angela Merkel began the second day of her visit by laying a wreath at the grave of the unknown soldier at Syntagma Square in the centre of Athens. After a minute’s silence the Chancellor was officially welcomed with military honours.
At the presidential palace she then had a meeting with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos. She went on to visit the German school in Athens where German and Greek students learn side by side.
Her itinerary on Friday also included a meeting with Greek creative artists, scientists and intellectuals, as well as representatives of German and Greek businesses. Discussions focused primarily on progress achieved in Greece’s economic recovery.
To wind up her visit the Chancellor met the leader of Greece’s opposition Kyriakos Mitsotakis, before she left the Greek capital again in the afternoon for Berlin.