Greece achieves €1.8bn budget surplus in first half of 2014

Greece achieved a primary budget surplus of 1.8 billion euros (2.4 billion dollars) in the first half of 2014, its finance ministry said on Thursday, raising the probability that it will receive further debt relief from the Eurogroup of finance ministers.
The announcement marks another sign of economic recovery for Greece, which last year posted a budget surplus for the first time in a decade. In 2013, the surplus amounted to 1.5 billion euros.
The Eurogroup has made additional debt-lightening measures for Greece conditional on the country producing a primary surplus – the surplus before taking into account debt financing costs.
The measures could include lower interest rates and an extension of loan maturities, talks on which are expected to start later this year.