Less chance of Greece moving toward Russia: Italy
Italy’s economy minister says the likelihood of Greece moving toward Russia and away from Europe has lessened following meetings with EU leaders in Brussels this week.
Pier Carlo Padoan said on Friday that eurozone finance ministers are set to meet again on Monday in an effort to hammer out a new funding arrangement with Greece.
“After yesterday’s political accord, which I hope will be consolidated on Monday, the risk of a Greece outside Europe and in the orbit of Russia is moving further away,” Reuters quoted Padoan as saying on news radio station Radio 24.
EU finance ministers and heads of government met on Wednesday and Thursday over Greece’s bailout program, but their talks has so far failed to secure a final austerity-free deal between Athens and its international lenders.
Meanwhile, experts have warned that talks between Greece, the EU and International Monetary Fund may break down over new funding arrangements.
Greece’s new anti-austerity government wants part of the national debt written off, but Germany, the EU heavyweight, strongly opposes the demand.
The incumbent Greek authorities also disagree with some policies being pursued by Brussels, most notably the anti-Russian sanctions over the Ukrainian crisis.
On February 10, Greece said the cash-strapped country could turn to the United State, Russia, China or other states for assistance should Europeans let Athens down.
This is while the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently said that his country will consider any request from Greece for financial assistance after the Greek populist Syriza party won a general election in January and its leader, Alexis Tsipras, took over as prime minister from Antonis Samaras.
Greece nearly went bankrupt in 2010. It survived, however, on international rescue packages. Athens has received 240 billion euros (USD 330 billion) in international loans in return for the enforcement of austerity measures.
GMA/MKA/HMV
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