BRUSSELS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Jean-Claude Juncker, chairman of the Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers, is sticking to his statement that Greece will not default on its debt, Juncker's spokesman said on Tuesday.
Juncker said on Dec. 1 after a meeting of the 16-country euro zone's finance ministers that "there is no hint of bankruptcy as far as Greece is concerned".
"Mr Juncker's remarks from last week still stand," the spokesman, Guy Schuller, said.
Greece's debt was downgraded to the lowest sovereign rating in the euro zone on Tuesday amid growing worries about its public finances, dragging down bank shares, bonds and the euro in its wake.
EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia indicated also on Dec. 1 some solidarity among the other 15 euro zone countries with Greece.
"The problems of Greece are the problems of the euro area. Success ... will be a success for the whole euro area," Almunia had said.
During an earlier bout of market concern about Greek debt in March this year, Almunia said the euro zone had a plan to support a euro zone country in trouble without resorting to financial help from the International Monetary Fund.
He had declined to discuss the matter further.
"If a crisis emerges in one euro area country, there is a solution ... Before visiting the IMF, you can be sure there is a solution and you can be sure that it is not clever to talk in public about this solution," Almunia said on March 3.
"But this solution exists. Don't fear for this moment -- we are equipped intellectually, politically and economically to face this crisis scenario, but by definition these kinds of things should not be explained in public," he had said. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, editing by Dale Hudson)