French PM Promises Aid for Greece

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- French Prime Minister Manuel Valls is promising Greece more help in overcoming its financial crisis, with investment and assistance with administrative reforms.

Valls met Friday with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras before the two countries were due to sign agreements to continue French assistance for reforms in central and regional government.

Greece is hoping to restart its long-delayed privatization program after eurozone countries assured the country that they will continue to pay bailout money and will improve the repayment terms of past loans.

France played a lead role last year in easing a dispute between rescue lenders and Tsipras' left-wing government that had threatened Greece's place in the eurozone.

(KA)