Greece Warns Against Intervening in Other Countries’ Internal Affairs

Greece will not listen to other countries’ opinions about its internal affairs, and would not intervene in other states’ national matters itself, Greek Deputy Defense Minister Kostas Isihos told sputnik Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The comment came in response to German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble’s Monday statement, in which he said that the Greek government should hold a referendum on a cash-for-reform deal with its international creditors to stay in the Eurozone.

Greek Deputy Defense Minister Kostas Isihos said:

“I do believe it is a bridge of intervening in the internal affairs of another country, something I would not follow on. It would be very incorrect from my behalf as a deputy minister of defense to comment on any national matters in Germany – whether there should be a referendum on “a” or “b” or “c” issue or whether they should change their economic policy.”

Greece was hard-hit by the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, leaving the country reliant on loans from the so-called troika of international creditors comprising the IMF, the European Commission and the European Central Bank.

Greece's debt to the troika is estimated at some $270 billion.

Speculations about Greece’s possible exit from the Eurozone began in 2012 amid the country’s ongoing financial crisis. As Greek financial problems persisted and intensified, in 2015, discussions about Greece’s exit from the Eurozone surfaced again.