ATHENS - "Not a single threat against Greece and Cyprus' sovereign rights will be accepted" stated French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in an interview with the Sunday edition of Kathimerini newspaper, referring to the importance of EastMed pipeline for Europe and for the tension created by the exploitation of the wealth sources in eastern Mediterranean.

"France and EU have strongly supported Athens and Nicosia against these threats" the French Minister said.

Le Maire said that Greece is on a good course and now can see to the future with optimism. "The country is again on the course of growth and the unemployment is dropping. Greece has restored the investors' trust and this is good news. It will help the growth and will improve the tax revenues".

Regarding the reduction of primary surplus target, he said that "Greece and the Greek people have assumed serious commitments. I was pleased to see that Greece was in condition to leave the programme in June 2018 following a Eurogroup decision. However, Greece's public finances should become more sustainable. Greece is on the right course; it has met the primary surplus target for 2018 and should continue on this way".

Bruno Le Maire urged the French enterprises to assume higher commitments in Greece and to support the country's modernisation policy followed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.