Barroso welcomes upcoming Greek EU presidency

The President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday welcomed the upcoming Greek EU Presidency in January 2014. "I hope and believe that the Greek presidency is going to be a great opportunity to show that Greece is not only able to solve its problems with European solidarity but Greece is also able to give an important contribution to the European project," Barroso told the press after he met Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Brussels with several members of his cabinet. Greece has been worst-hit by a sovereign debt crisis in the European Union(EU) since 2008. The country will assume the EU Council's rotating six-month presidency in January 2014. "With lessons learned from this crisis, Greece can be also leading the European Union, bringing its special sensitivity to so many problems, from the Balkans to maritime policy, which Greece knows much better than most of our member states," Barroso said. He assured Samaras and the Greek government of full support over the next six months for the presidency. "I was glad to hear Greece's priorities are largely in step with our own," Barroso sai, adding it was a crucial time for Europe with key pieces of legislation needed to be finalized before the European elections in May. "Europe would not be Europe today without the contribution of Greece, from philosophy to mathematics, from theatre to literature -- the world would not be the same. And this is a debt, a very profound debt that we have all in our civilisation to Greece."