The Eurogroup prepares new conditions for Athens – Il Sole 24 Ore

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This article was published May 10, 2015 at 20:32.
The last change is the 10 May 2015 at 20:46.

“There is no draft agreement with Greece on the table of the Eurogroup” but the ministers are working on a statement which asks to Athens’ hard work and commitment, necessary to reach an agreement in the coming weeks. ” So Eurogroup sources, quoted by ANSA, reminiscent, as repeatedly mentioned in all locations by the Ministers of 19, starting with the owner German Finance Schaeuble, “time is running out.” To avoid the risk of an accident liquidity (given the uncertainty over the Greek resources), essentially a default with consequences not entirely predictable, the eurozone, in the last feverish negotiations, it would still preparing a proposal to be submitted to Greece by the end of month, with the list of the necessary reforms (that in detail never seen) to release the last tranche of aid from 7.2 billion euro under the second bailout program, which ends in June, according to the agreements of the February 20.

The proposal would resemble a lot to a ‘take it or leave it “, that is the latest offer by the creditors (EU, ECB, IMF) before closing the purse strings. It should be remembered that Tuesday is the deadline for the payment of 760 million euro to the IMF and is not yet certain (despite assurances) nor clear whether and how Athens will be able to meet the commitment. Also because there is no unanimity in the government Greek, according to the daily Kathimerini: There are those who would push for not paying the IMF if the Eurogroup not arrive positive indications. Between June and July, then, there will be deadlines towards the ECB, which amounted to about 6 billion. A figure which the government greek (not even the creditor institutions know exactly how much cash is on hand in Athens) almost certainly does not have.

The news, as always in this long and difficult negotiations, remain contradictory. Only yesterday, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, the number one of the Eurogroup, the Dutch Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, had confirmed the orientation of 19 to ‘keep Greece in the single currency, “and he said, regarding the timing on the understanding that, “there is a dead line ,” although, of course, before you reach the better.

And now the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs greek, Euclid Tsakalotos, appointed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras – after the disastrous Eurogroup Riga – coordinator of negotiations with Brussels Group (former troika), when it was joined the Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis (which has never confirmed that he was the police station), said that Greece and international creditors would instead “very close” to an agreement for the release of funding. Tsakalotos and deputy Yiannis Varoufakis Dragasakis will join the Euro.

“After weeks of painful negotiations – said Tsakalotos, interviewed by Avgi – if the other party wants it, we see that the agreement is very close and will be concluded shortly. ” The same deputy minister then admitted that Greece and international creditors slightly “politically distant” on issues such as the reform of the labor market and pensions and that some issues “remain open until the last minute.” (Al.An.)

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