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Protesters, one with a Greek flag, struggles to hold umbrellas in a storm, in front of the Greek parliament during a protest in Athens, Wednesday, Feb. 22 2012. AP ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A new €130 billion ($172 billion) bailout deal "binds Greece to euro" and will shield the country from default, the finance minister said Wednesday.

Evangelos Venizelos made the remarks after the government conceded a new round of austerity measures will deepen the recession and cause the country to miss its target of generating a primary budget surplus in 2012.

Greece's coalition government is scrambling to push through a batch of emergency laws that will further cut incomes and state spending after eurozone countries demanded new austerity measures in return for the new rescue funds.

"The agreement is of historic importance because it binds Greece to the euro," Venizelos told private Mega television.

"It was not only the approval of the €130 billion in additional support for Greece. But this also comes with a European commitment ... of support for as long as in necessary for Greece to return to the markets."

He added: "This is a decisive and irreversible action by our partners: Greece is a member of the euro and will remain a member of the euro and there is no issue of bankruptcy, there is no issue of the country's financial collapse."

Earlier, around 6,000 protesters chanting "EU out, IMF out!" marched to parliament in a peaceful rally against the new austerity measures.