02/06/2011 11:53
Greece nears IMF/EU deal
Greece should complete talks by the end of the week with inspectors from the EU and IMF on a medium-term budget plan plus a vital next slice of international aid, sources close to the negotiations said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
With Athens fighting to avoid defaulting on its debt, the country's central bank chief dismissed as "improbable and ridiculous" any suggestion that Greece might ditch the euro and return to its drachma national currency.
Inspectors on the "troika" team from the European Union, IMF and European Central Bank are in Athens to decide whether to release a tranche of 12 billion euros next month to keep Greece afloat. Partly due to IMF demands, discussions on a new package that would meet Greece's needs up to 2014 are also taking place.