A Greek (R) and an EU flag flutter in front of the temple of the Parthenon, during the takeover ceremony of the six-month rotation of Greece's EU Presidency at Zappeion Hall, in Athens January 8, 2014. REUTERS/Yorgos Karahalis
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece took over the presidency of the European Union on Wednesday and chose the moment to deliver a staunch defence of its efforts to recover from six years of recession and two bailouts that have cost it more than 200 billion euros.
Meeting Brussels-based journalists as Athens took on what is largely a ceremonial EU role for the next six months, Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras were quick to highlight nascent signs of recovery, with forecasts for the economy to grow marginally this year.
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