ILLUSTRATION. Athens decided Thursday to postpone to June the settlement of four installments of loans owed to the International Monetary Fund.
Illustration. (AFP / Louisa Gouliamaki)
“This opportunity will give us more time for negotiations,” justified a Greek government source. The $ 1.6 billion, is now due on 30 June.
Athens is negotiating with its creditors, the EU and IMF on an agreement that would unlock the last tranche of international loans to the country, or 7.2 billion euros, which would enable it to settle its debts. Talks with creditors entered a new round of discussions at the highest level on Wednesday and are expected to continue the next few days, Alexis Tsipras assured Wednesday in Brussels at the end of a working dinner described as “long and athletic” by the President of the European Commision Jean-Claude Juncker and judged “very good” by the head of the euro zone, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who also joined the meeting.
Alexis Tsipras had then left heard that the payment would be honored Friday. The IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde was also declared “confident” Thursday, hours before the Greek deferral request.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the French television channel France 2 Thursday night he had “significant efforts on the part of Athens”, stressing that the objective of the negotiations is that Greece “rest” in the euro area. “Now it is part of the Greek state what she wants to eventually move,” has echoed the French Finance Minister Michel Sapin.
The differences relate in particular to a radical reform of pensions desired by IMF and VAT two rates. On Friday, he will inform the Greek Parliament on the progress of negotiations. Parliamentarians should give their approval if there is agreement between Athens and its creditors.
VIDEO. Lagarde confident about a return of Greece to the IMF
VIDEO. Tsipras met Juncker in Brussels on Wednesday
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