Greek PM requests to meet EC chief over cash shortage
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has requested a meeting with European Commissioner Chief Jean-Claude Juncker, as the country is running short of cash ahead of a debt repayment scheduled this month.
The recent request was reportedly made on Friday after a previous one was turned down by Juncker earlier in the day.
“The prime minister called Mr. Juncker to arrange a meeting next week,” a Greek government source said on condition of anonymity.
The request comes a day after the European Central Bank (ECB) said it would consider giving more room on financing to Greece after Athens reached a debt deal with its eurozone partners last month.
The ECB recently cut off a major channel of financing for banks in Greece after saying it would no longer accept Greek sovereign bonds as collateral for loans.
The government of Tsipras, whose leftist Syriza Party stormed to victory in January 25 elections, has tried to renegotiate the terms of the country’s 240-billion-euro (270-billion-dollar) bailout it received in 2010 in return for imposing harsh austerity measures.
Last month, a tentative agreement was reached to extend Greece’s bailout program by four months during preparatory talks between Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde and Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
However, Greece was asked to submit a list of proposed reforms to the European Union (EU) in order for the agreement to take effect.
The European Commission has already accepted the list of proposed reform measures by Greece as “a valid starting point” for an agreement to secure an extension to Athens’ financial lifeline.
SZH/MKA/HMV
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