A demonstrator waves a Greek national flag ahead of a protest against a visit by Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, opposite the Greek parliament building in Athens on Oct. 9. (Bloomberg)
BRUSSELS (AFP) ― The EU-IMF-ECB troika of international lenders behind Greece’s delayed bailout said Wednesday that they hoped to conclude a deal to resume financial aid after ending a review mission in Athens.
Negotiators “agreed on most of the core measures needed to restore the momentum of reform,” but were to continue discussions from headquarters “with a view to reaching full staff level agreement over the coming days,” a statement said.
Officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund said they had wrapped up “comprehensive and productive” face-to-face discussions.
“Financing issues” nonetheless still needed to be discussed between the official lenders and Greece, they said, to hammer out “policies that could serve as a basis for the completion of the review of the country’s economic adjustment program.”
Greece’s conservative-led government is in talks with the troika on an austerity package needed to unlock a loan payment of 31.5 billion euros ($41.4 billion).
The payment, which has been pending since June, is a part of 230 billion euros in loans offered to the heavily-indebted eurozone country as well as the cancellation of more than 100 billion euros in privately held debt.
The government has presented a draft budget that foresees 7.8 billion euros in savings next year, but EU/IMF/ECB auditors say measures worth 9.2 billion are needed.
Left-of-centre elements of Greece’s coalition government have voiced opposition to measures demanded by the troika.
International creditors were “playing with fire” by requiring greater sacrifices, said Socialist former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos.
