ATHENS — Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou discussed the restarting of European economy and the role of the EU Recovery Fund in a meeting with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas held on Friday at the Presidential Mansion in Athens.

They also discussed the upcoming EU Summit on July 17-18, when EU leaders will meet physically in Brussels to try and reach consensus on the particulars of the recovery fund and also agree on a new long-term EU budget.

Schinas stressed that "we look forward to the Summit and the agreement of leaders and governments of the European Union on the recovery package and the bloc's economic restart," before adding that the EU Recovery Fund will give Greece access to unprecedented resources and will support both the country's economy "and all those who have suffered the most from the pandemic, while giving hope to young people."

Sakellaropoulou pointed out that the pandemic is testing Europe's reflexes and that the EU's current predicament is an opportunity to prove the solidarity of EU member states in practice. On this latter, the President acknowledged Schinas' contribution in the negotiations on the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, adding that the talks provide another opportunity to see whether "European solidarity plays out there as well, as it has not been so strong in the past."