The IMF on Thursday again referred to the issue of Greece’s debt sustainability, expressing concerns over the country’s debt load in the long term.
At the same time, a spokesman for the Fund declined to clarify the exact role that the International Monetary Fund will have in the post-memorandum supervision of Greece’s economy and finances.
The Fund’s well-known chief spokesman, Gerry Rice, added that the debt relief measures allocated by Eurozone creditors last week improved the short-term and medium-term prospects for Greece to return to the markets, while at the same time defusing risks associated with a refinancing of the debt through new borrowing.
At the same time, Rice repeated the concerns expressed by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, who Tweeted earlier this month that “…Additional debt relief from #Greece’s European partners will mitigate medium-term refinancing risks and improve Greece’s medium-term debt prospects. This will be good for Greece and good for the #euroarea.
He reminded that creditors have promised to review figures for the Greek debt’s sustainability in 2033, with the possibility of more measures if judged necessary.
An IMF mission is in Athens at the moment for an overall review of the Greek economy, with Rice saying the delegation will conclude work on Friday. The debt sustainability analysis, however, will be unveiled in late July 2018, he said.
