A.Tsipras: I would like to welcome you to Greece. It is known to everyone that our countries maintain really close relations.
I was in Portugal just a few months ago, with the Prime Minister, a dear friend of mine(Antonio Costa). Both of us are giving our fights in the European Council. We represent two countries that share a lot in common, except for the Mediterranean temperament of our people. At the same time, we found ourselves claiming and achieving the restoration of democracy in our countries. But we, also, have many common characteristics as two countries in the European South, which have been at the heart of the financial crisis, due to the inherent weaknesses of the Eurozone.
And I do not hide that for us, Portugal is a good example, because you managed to end the adventure of the program earlier. And this is a precedent, and I believe it is also binding for the institutions to handle similar problems in the same way.
We are exiting in the following August and we have already been seeing a huge difference in the economic indicators and we hope this difference will affect the social indicators and people’s sense of the real economy as it did in your country.
So, I would like to welcome you again and I am sure that your visit is a very good opportunity to further tighten our close and constructive relations.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa: I would like to thank you Mr. Prime Minister, since my current visit indicates that there is a strong and natural relationship between our people and our countries.
There is also a strong relation between the two Presidents of the Republic and the two governments.
Prime Minister, we are both two democratic states, States of European law, countries of the South but also with the possibility of dialogue across Europe.
I would like to congratulate Greece on addressing these challenges which Portugal had been facing until recently. I know this is a historic moment for Greece. I would like to say that you can rely on Portugal.
This is my first visit, after the visit of the Portuguese Prime Minister to Greece, yours in Portugal, and the President of the Republic.
We are both looking for a right and a very dynamic and strong relationship for the future of Europe.
