In negotiations with the EU, Athens seems to look for other … – Boursorama

The Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, March 30, 2015 in Athens (AFP / File / ARIS MESSINIS)

In the middle of difficult negotiations with its European Union partners, Athens announced Saturday the visit of the Minister of Finance in Washington, a few days before that of the Prime Minister in Moscow.

Yanis Varoufakis meet Sunday IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, then Monday US Treasury officials, including Nathan Sheets, Deputy US Treasury Secretary in charge of international affairs. He will also meet with Caroline Atkinson, counsel for Barack Obama for international economic affairs.

A spokesman for Mr Varoufakis told AFP that he wanted to join the IMF progress of ongoing negotiations with the European Union, and that it was “normal” to present the reforms envisaged in the United States, the largest shareholder of the IMF.

Greece expects the EU payment a final tranche of 7.2 billion euros, as part of assistance plans 240 billion euros granted by Europe and the IMF since 2010.

new radical left government must submit by the end of April to the Eurogroup a list of reforms convincing enough to get the remaining help.

The International Monetary Fund, however, has the payments provided for Greece until 2016.

The IMF has often appeared more comprehensive than some European creditors like Germany. As for the US government, it emphasizes the role at every opportunity “stabilizer” precious of Greece to the east of Europe

-. “Trust and Credibility” –

Since Three weeks short rumors that Greece may default on April 9 the next installment of € 460 million repayment to the IMF. It was fueled by an alarmist letter from Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras German Chancellor Angela Merkel on March 15, warning that without prompt payment of money expected from the EU, Greece could default on its future repayments.

A default could have easily calculable consequences. The fears are fueled by the flight of capital in the recent past Greek banks (25 billion from December to February) and lower tax revenues in the state coffers.

Some economists have predicted can set up a brutal control of the Greek capital during the Orthodox Easter weekend, next week, as in Cyprus there are two years. And this weekend, an article in the British newspaper Telegraph announcing the return of the drachma and default on maturity of 9 was the star of social networks. But the government said that the deadline would be honored.

Then Athens will have to find some € 13 billion by the end of August for the IMF and the ECB in particular, while renewing the Treasury Bills three and six months, and rotating the state.

Pure pressure strategy the EU or real need urgent money, the visit of Mr. Varoufakis in Washington shortly before the one Moscow Mr. Tsipras. The announcement of this visit was surprised, the Prime Minister has already planned to visit Russia in May for the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory.

The European Parliament President Martin Schulz questioned by the German newspaper Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, asked Mr. Tsipras “not to displease its European partners” risking to break the unanimity of the EU vis-à-vis Russia. This while the list of reforms developed by Greece and the recent visit of Mr. Tsipras in Berlin “Athens placed in position to regain trust and credibility.”

In an interview with the Rheinische Post, the German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel preferred to minimize the strategic risk: “I can not imagine anyone in Athens is ready to turn its back on Europe to jump into the arms of Russia, “he said.

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