Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem referred to an agreement over "major reforms" agreed to between the Greek government and institutional creditors on Friday, a deal aimed at finally concluding the second review of the current bailout program for Greece.
The Dutch finance minister spoke after a Eurogroup meeting concluded in Valletta, Malta.
Essentially, Dijsselbloem's statement points to a return of negotiators to Athens to finalize details for a staff-level agreement, a precursor towards EZ finance ministers' "green light" for the review.
EU Commission Pierre Moscovici, speaking after the Eurogroup chairman, also hailed the agreement hatched out and presented at Friday's meeting. He also said it was time to finally end the uncertainty hanging over the Greek economy, like a "Sword of Damocles".
Djisselbloem added that creditors' auditors will return to Athens as soon as possible, but without specifying a date.
In terms of numbers associated with the new austerity measures, he repeated that the figure reaches a total of 2 percent of Greece's GDP in 2019 and 2020. As previously and repeatedly reported, 1 percent of GDP in measures will be taken in 2019, mainly via pension cuts. Another 1 percent of measures, as calculated by GDP, will be taken in 2020, primarily through reducing the tax-free threshold for taxpayers' annual income.
In terms of countervailing measures that the Tsipras government has promised, especially to present them as a "silver lining" to persuade its slim Parliament majority and its remaining grassroots supporters, the Dutch minister repeated that such will be taken if fiscal targets are achieved. Both new austerity measures and whatever countervailing measures will be enacted in the present.
