BRUSSELS (MNI) – Greek conservative party leader Antonis Samaras
has sent a letter to the heads of the European Commission, International
Monetary Fund and the Eurogroup expressing his party’s commitment to
reforms needed for Greece to secure a vital E8 billion tranche of
financial aid, a spokesman for the Commission confirmed Friday.
Samaras, whose New Democracy party is the second biggest supporting
the unity government of Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, had until now
balked at the request for a written commitment. EU officials have
insisted upon the measure from all major political parties because their
aid programme for Greece will long outlive the current government’s
term.
Another letter sent earlier this week addressed to the largest
political bloc in the European Parliament, the EPP group of which New
Democracy is a member, failed to appease EU officials.
The Pasok party of former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou
has, however, still not sent a letter pledging its commitment to the
reform’s attached to the EU and IMF’s aid.
EU officials have threatened to withhold the aid unless they
receive written commitments from all the major Greek political parties.
Meeting here Tuesday, Eurozone finance ministers are expected to
discuss unblocking the E8 billion tranche that was withheld after
Papandreou’s call for a referendum undermined Greece’s commitment to the
aid programme.
–Brussels bureau: +32495228374; pkoh@marketnews.com
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