By N. Bellos
[email protected]
A high-ranking Eurozone official in Brussels on Tuesday said a comprehensive solution for the Greek program, including debt relief measures, will be taken on or by a June 21 Eurogroup meeting, “regardless of whether the IMF will participate in the program”.
The same official categorically stated that no extraordinary Eurogroup meeting on the Greek issue is scheduled after June 2018, as all deadlines converge on the June 21 meeting in Luxembourg.
Regarding the recently achieved staff-level agreement to conclude the fourth review of the ongoing bailout, the official expressed the Eurozone’s satisfaction, while appearing confident that Eurozone finance ministers will ratify the agreement on Thursday.
At the same time, the unnamed source said the Greek government must still implement remaining “prior actions”, while reminding of a commitment by PM Alexis Tsipras that Athens’ commitments will be met by the middle of June.
Finally, the official said a pending loan emanating from the fourth review will be “sizeable”, with its exact disbursement also to be decided on June 21, and with the “lion’s share” to be funneled towards a “cushion” for the post-bailout period and after the third bailout ends on Aug. 21.
