Greece must have clarity on debt treatment – French PM

Valls told lawmakers that Greece’s request for European Stability Mechanism funds on Wednesday was “balanced and positive”.

The PM praised an “important step which will allow for negotiations”.

“Keeping Greece in the euro and therefore in the heart of Europe and the European Union is something of the utmost geostrategic and geopolitical importance”, said Valls.

“France refuses that Greece leaves the Eurozone in the name of our position and our commitments”, Mr. Valls told lawmakers in the National Assembly.

“Is that the image of Europe we want to give to the world?” “There is no taboo subject when it comes to (Greek) debt, on the restructuring”.

His keynote speech to the French parliament on the Greek crisis was the strongest statement of intent from Paris so far that it will fight to avoid the departure of Greece from the single currency zone.

He said France was not being “indulgent” towards the Greek government but was merely working to keep the country in the eurozone “because it is in our interests”.

Late on Monday, the leaders of Germany and France, the eurozone’s biggest economies, presented a united front, calling on Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to make “precise” proposals in order to revive bailout talks.

The estimate was disclosed as members of the French government, including finance minister Michel Sapin, have expressed a willingness to consider reducing Greece’s crushing debt load of over 320 billion euros as part of a new rescue programme seeking to avert a Greek default and probable exit from the eurozone.