EU Officials to Review Progress in Greek Bailout Talks

 

 Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras

Reuters, 07/08 18:21 CET

By Robert-Jan Bartunek and Lefteris Papadimas

BRUSSELS/ATHENS (Reuters) – Senior EU officials will confer by telephone late on Friday on progress in negotiations between Greece and its international creditors on a third bailout for the near-bankrupt euro zone country with Germany reported to be warning against haste.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is trying to force the pace of the talks, keen to wrap up agreement on sensitive economic reforms by mid-August, while many Greeks are on holiday, and receive an initial aid disbursement by Aug. 20 in time to make a bond payment to the European Central Bank.

Athens is negotiating with European Union institutions and the International Monetary Fund for up to 86 billion euros (£60.5 billion) in fresh loans to stave off economic collapse and stay in the euro zone.

At a meeting on Thursday, Tsipras and French President Francois Hollande agreed that a new deal should be concluded soon after Aug. 15.

“The objective is for the negotiations on the programme … to be concluded at the end of August. We know it’s difficult but we must make sure that the conditions are met, in a good spirit,” Hollande told reporters.

Talks were going “in the best of directions”, he added.

Full article available here: EU Officials to Review Progress... 

Source: Euronews