Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras referred to the successful, as he said, return of the bailout-dependent country to the capital markets on Tuesday with a same-day rollover five-year bond issue, in welcoming visiting EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici to his Athens office.
In offering a general statement before cameras with Moscovici at his side, the leftist Greek premier said it was "now the time to discuss the future of Greece; how we'll cooperate in order to work together so that the coming year the (third bailout) program is successfully concluded, and for us to try and plan for the next day; for Greece in the post-program period".
Tsipras also said initial reports are "very good" regarding the yield and demand for Greece's new notes, essentially a switch bond issue expected a five-year bond issued in 2014 until 2022.
Οn his part, Moscovici said the country was at a “turning point”, thanks to “several important and very positive developments” since his last appearance in Athens last February.
Additionally, he called on the Greek government to continue implementing reforms, using the metaphor of riding a bike.