EP-president Schulz welcomes Greece's return to financial markets

European Parliament President Martin Schulz made the following statement on a successful sale by Greece of government bonds:

"I welcome Greece's successful return to the financial markets. It is a sign of confidence in efforts by Greece and the euro zone to put behind the sovereign debt crisis.

This bond placement is a step towards normalcy and stability. It is an accomplishment for the Greek people, who had to endure tough reforms. However, full success will come when Greeks start to feel improvements in their standard of living and when the unemployment rate declines significantly."