FRANKFURT (MNI) – The Troika is not discussing a new debt
restructuring plan for Greece, Thomas Wieser, President of the key
European Working Group (EWG), told German radio Deutschland Radio
Kultur on Wednesday.
“In none of the discussion rounds [with the Troika] was the word
‘haircut’ mentioned,” Wieser said. Media reports about a possible debt
restructuring are nothing more than mutually reinforcing press
speculation and “have nothing to do with the work of the Troika,” he
said.
The EWG, which meets in Brussels, is composed of senior finance
officials from Eurozone governments. Its main task is to prepare the
agenda for meetings of the Eurozone finance ministers, known as the
Eurogroup. That group is scheduled to hold a teleconference call to
discuss Greece starting at 1300 GMT today.
Wieser told the radio station that he would not exclude a new deal
with Greece to show a “more measured adjustment program,” given the
collapse of the country’s economy.
“It is possible that this will require additional liquidity.
However, based on all we have heard, it would not require additional
funds from the 16 member states [but] could be financed within the
framework for the current program,” Wieser said.
Still, he cautioned that talks between the Troika and Greece have
not been concluded yet. “They are close to the end, but as is well known
the last steps in these agreements are always the most difficult,”
Wieser said.
–Frankfurt newsroom, +49-69-720-142; jtreeck@mni-news.com
[TOPICS: M$X$$$,M$$CR$,MGX$$$,M$Y$$$]
