Tsakalotos hopes review will be done in few weeks
The Greek government expects representatives of its four lenders to return to Athens possibly as early as next week with the aim of completing the first bailout review within the ensuing two weeks. Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos told MPs it would be disastrous if the review drags on into the summer.
“I expect the institutions to be back soon, maybe at some point next week,” said Tsakalotos. “From the moment that they do return, we will have a two-week deadline to complete the review.”
“If the review is due for completion in May or June, we will be in serious trouble,” he added.
Tsakalotos did not elaborate on the differences between Greece and its creditors.
“The institutions say that the numbers have to add up,” he said. “We have to work systematically to convince them that we will reach the targets that have been agreed and which will lead to a 3.5 percent of gross domestic product primary surplus in 2018.”
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is due to visit Paris on February 17 for talks with French President Francois Hollande. Having met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in London last week, Tsipras and his aides hope that backing from Hollande will help resolve the pending issues in the review.
