Osborne commends Greece debt deal

22nd July 2011

Chancellor George Osborne has welcomed the new bailout package for Greece, commending eurozone members for their "decisive economic action".

He also emphasised to taxpayers that the government had delivered on its pledged to keep the UK out of the bailout.

However, he said the UK had a "huge interest" in a stable eurozone and called on political leaders to make the "longer term changes needed to make the euro work".

At the emergency summit in Brussels, eurozone leaders agreed to a new bailout package for Greece worth €109bn.

It will include financing from both the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as the private sector.

Osborne said last night: "The first thing British taxpayers should know is that we have delivered on our promise to keep the UK out of the Greek bailout.

"But Britain also has a huge interest in a stable eurozone. Today's package from eurozone countries to support Greece is an important and positive development.

"Even more positive is the demonstration that eurozone political leaders can take decisive economic action.

"That is what they now have to sustain, not just on the details of this package, but also on the longer term changes needed to make the euro work.

"They have shown they can get a grip, now they need to keep it."

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