Greece's finance minister on Tuesday admitted the budget deficit figures that decided his country's entry into the eurozone in 2001 were misreported, but insisted the deficit had not breached the European Union ceiling of 3 per cent of gross domestic product.

?Numbers have been revised upwards, mainly to reflect under-reporting of military spending but I am confident the true figures are below the limit,? George Alogoskoufis said in an interview with the FT.