BRUSSELS (MNI) – The European Commission said Thursday that it
welcomed Athens’ approval of E13.5 billion of budget savings Wednesday
but that a successful vote on reforms scheduled for Sunday and an
agreement to address Greece’s debt sustainability and financing needs,
were also needed before a further tranche of aid could be released.
“Sunday’s vote [on structural reforms] are another crucial step,” a
Commission spokesman said. “One important step has been taken, but there
are also these other two aspects on which an agreement also has to be
reached,” he said, specifying the issues of debt sustainability and
Greece’s financing needs.
Officials from the Eurozone, the International Monetary Fund and
the European Central Bank are working “in a good and constructive
spirit” to resolve the issues “within the coming days”, he said.
Finance ministers of the 17 countries sharing the euro currency are
due to meet in Brussels on Monday to hammer out a deal to prevent Greece
from running out of cash within a matter of weeks.
— Brussels Newsroom: +32 (0)4 95 22 83 74, pkoh@mni-news.com
[TOPICS: M$Y$$$,M$X$$$,MGX$$$,M$$CR$]
