Greece, Troika meets tomorrow in Athens

Representatives of the so-called troika, the International Monetary Fund's Paul Tomson, the European Union's Servaz Deruz and Claus Masuch of the European Central Bank, are scheduled to meet tomorrow in Athens to discuss the implementation of Greece's anti-crisis economic reforms. Meanwhile the Greek Finance Ministry needs to find 11.6 billion euros by the end of 2014, possibly by cutting public spending but without further reducing salaries and pensions. According to media reports, the government has been able to find up until now only 5.7 billion euros. The problem will be discussed today at a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras with the leader of the two parties supporting the government, Evanghelos Venizelos of the Socialist Pasok party and Fotis Kouvelis of the Democratic Left. Representatives of Greece's international creditors have said that any discussion on prolonging the implementation of the government's economic plan, which Athens intends to ask, will depend on the progress made on structural reforms and privatizations. Creditors have also said recession, often cited by the government, cannot justify the failure to reach Greece's budget balance. From: ANSAMED