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"Difficult steps" remain before new bailout to Greece: German FM

Xinhua, July 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday that the agreement that European leaders reached after all-night talks to avoid a "Grexit" showed solidarity of Europe, but "difficult steps" remained before a new bailout to Greece.

"Europe shows that it can act in a united and rational way with solidarity," said Steinmeier in a statement.

"Before a new bailout package, there is still some difficult steps, especially in Athens, which is necessary to urgently build new trust," he added.

Greece received a nod from its international creditors to start negotiations on a more than 80-billion-euro bailout on Monday after it agreed to carry out tough reforms which it resisted for months.

According to a deal reached by a eurozone summit which ended on Monday morning after 17-hour talks, the Greek parliament has to pass laws on reform measures including tax hikes, spending cuts and pensions reduction by Wednesday.

Earlier on Monday, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that the German government would only seek a mandate from the parliament to start negotiations on the new bailout when Greek parliament approved the reforms. Endit