Irish deputy PM sees Greece sticking with euro

(WASHINGTON) - Ireland's deputy prime minister, Eamon Gilmore, voiced confidence Wednesday that Greece would keep the euro, saying that speculation it would exit the single-currency bloc is "not helpful."

"The euro is here to stay. I believe that all countries that are part of the euro will remain in the union," Gilmore said at a private event in Washington organized by the Brookings Institution.

"And frankly it's not helpful from political figures in Europe to speculate over whether any country might exit or not," he added.

Gilmore, who is also Ireland's foreign minister, said he "naturally" understands why that type of speculation occurs, but insisted "the priority for European leaders and member states which are part of the eurozone is to make sure that the eurozone is stable."

Greece on Wednesday was in two-pronged negotiations to obtain a second European Union-International Monetary Fund bailout package to avoid defaulting on debt as early as March.

The Greek government was in talks with the leaders of political parties seeking their approval for radical budget cuts demanded by the EU and the IMF, and with private creditors on a writedown of the Greek debt they hold.

The new funding is vital to avert a debt default on March 20, when Greece must repay 14.5 billion euros ($19.2 billion) to bondholders.