EU Must Prevent Greece From Becoming ‘Dead Colony’ – Greek Senior Official

Prevent Greece from becoming "a dead colony" or an unstable social and economic national entity is in European intests, Greek Deputy Defense Minister Kostas Isihos told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anna Liatsou – The European Union must prevent Greece from becoming a "dead colony" due to financial instability, Greek Deputy Defense Minister Kostas Isihos told Sputnik.

"Greece is going to be an entity which provides stability, peace and cooperation with the region in the Middle East which is already very volatile and dangerous, meaning that that is why in the interest of the European Union, of our European partners Greece not be become a dead colony or an unstable social and economic national entity," Isihos said.

Earlier in March, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias predicted that millions of migrants and thousands of jihadists would illegally enter Europe if the Greek economy crumbles.

Kotzias argued that Germany wanted to "suffocate" Greece over the country's economic problems and sovereign debt crisis. He urged Europe to find a new way to treat Greece.

Over the past months the European Union has discussed a so-called possible Grexit – Greece's withdrawal from the Eurozone due to the country's enormous debt.

The troika of international creditors, comprising the European Union, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has, over the past several years, freely permitted the borrowing of 240 billion euros ($265 billion) by the economically irresponsible previous government in Greece.

However, discussions on Greece departing from the EU were postponed last month, as Athens and Eurozone finance ministers reached an agreement to extend Greece's bailout for another four months. The new deal stipulates that Greece carry out all remaining austerity reforms required by creditors prior to receiving further aid.