The Greek government extended to 30 June, at the expiry of the international aid plan for Greece, the reimbursement of payments due this month to IMF , allowing him to gain time to reach agreement with its creditors. “The Greek authorities reported on Thursday the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) that they would consolidate four installments in June in one, which is now that of 30 June,” said the institution’s spokesman Gerry Rice in Washington.
Athens in theory had until Friday to start repaying the IMF fault what the country would have been declared in arrears, at the risk of triggering an unpredictable chain reaction. Making use of a clause of the IMF rules , which had only been used once in the institution’s history, he has 30 years under which member countries can consolidate short-term payments “into one”, and Athens must repay 30 June, 1.6 billion euros in total.
Initially, Greece should repay 300 million Friday before a second installment on June 12 of 340 million euros and the last two on 16 and June 19, 567 and 340 million respectively. This report should give a new impetus to Athens in financial difficulty for several months, and will allow it to continue negotiations with creditors.
Meeting in Brussels
The request for to facilitate the repayment of debts to the IMF comes a day after an important meeting in Brussels between the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the during which divergent views were reported between the two parties agree on a plan for the financial future of Greece.
Athens and its creditors, EU and IMF , working since 20 February, when an agreement on the extension of international aid to Greece until late June, to draft a joint plan of reforms Athens should adopt A precondition of the release of the last tranche of international loans to the country, or 7.2 billion euros.
The negotiations with creditors entered a new round of discussions at the high 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” Mr Juncker and judged “very good” by the boss Eurozone, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who also joined the meeting. But it is for Greece to take the next step, according to its partners, who have shown “considerable flexibility”, Lagarde has ruled. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also told the French television channel France 2 on Thursday night that he had “significant efforts on the part of Athens,” stressing that the objective of the negotiations is that Greece “remains” in Euro zone.
Reforms Plan
However, the differences over the reform and budgetary measures of both camps remain patent. Alexis Tsipras, back in Athens, assured its employees Thursday that no “extreme proposal” would be accepted. He must inform Parliament on Friday on the state of negotiations. Creditors have submitted to Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday a plan reforms, some proposals have been rejected by Athens.
A new meeting was held Thursday night between Alexis Tsipras Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande, said a Greek government source. Alexis Tsipras spoke on the phone several times in recent days with the European leaders. “The interview took place in a constructive and good climate,” Alexis Tsipras has said that “claims the proposal could not constitute a basis for discussion,” the source said.
The Greek government detailed the points differences with creditors stressing that they insist on fiscal primary surpluses (excluding debt service) higher than those offered by Athens on new cuts in pensions and salaries of civil servants and on The increase in VAT.
“The creditors positions do not contribute to finding a mutually beneficial agreement,” lamented a Greek government source.
(With AFP)
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