FinMin to meet troika ahead of leaders’ talks
Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras was to meet again on Wednesday afternoon with envoys representing Greece’s international creditors — the so-called troika of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — for talks aimed at finalizing an 11.5-billion-euro package of austerity measures.
State television reported that a range of onerous measures were «back on the table» — including reductions to low-level pensions — after troika officials expressed doubts about the enforceability of counter-measures proposed by the ministry such as the raising of the retirement age and further cutbacks to state administrative costs.
Stournaras’ talks with the troika, scheduled for 5 p.m., come ahead of a fresh meeting between Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his coalition partners — socialist PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos and Democratic Left chief Fotis Kouvelis — at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The premier is to seek to forge a common line with his coalition partners on the measures before traveling to Rome for a three-day official visit.
Stournaras, who is to stay in Athens and continue talks with the troika, has said he hopes for a final agreement on the measures by Sunday.
