Tsipras confident of agreement in Brussels, as Eurogroup pauses
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Thursday he was confident of reaching a compromise with his country’s EU-IMF creditors despite a deadlock in talks to reach a debt deal.
“After the comprehensive Greek proposals, Im confident well reach a compromise that will help the eurozone and Greece to overcome the crisis,» Tsipras told reporters as he arrived for an EU summit in Brussels.
Earlier, Donald Tusk said he felt that talks would end soon with a positive outcome.
“Work is underway and it can still take many hours. But I have a hunch that unlike in Sophocles’ tragedies, this story will have a happy end,» Tusk said as he arrived for a two-day leaders’ meeting.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, was more cautious, saying officials had «not yet made the necessary progress» in the talks to get Greece more financial aid.
She told reporters that «in some places we even have the impression that we are falling back a bit.”
Merkel said the negotiating was a matter for the eurozone finance ministers and technical experts, suggesting that detailed discussions would not take place at the summit.
The leaders arrived for their meeting as the Eurogroup took a break amid reports that the Greek government had been asked to update its proposals before the meeting of eurozone finance ministers could resume.
Earlier, talks between Tsipras and key officials, as well as technical exchanges had failed to result in an agreement over which measures Athens should adopt to receive further bailout funding.
[Kathimerini & agencies]
