Troika talks resume with meeting between auditors and Labor Minister on Friday
Troika negotiations were to continue on Friday with a meeting between Labor Minister Yannis Vroutsis and foreign envoys.
After briefing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on the new round of talks with the troika late on Thursday, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told reporters that the outlook was “difficult but not pessimistic.”
Both the troika and the government are keen to wrap up negotiations, which have dragged on for seven months, by Sunday, due to the possibility that an emergency summit of European Union finance ministers will be held on Monday to discuss the steps being taken to create a European banking union.
Once a deal is reached with the troika, the government is keen for all the so-called prior actions to be wrapped up into one multi-bill to avoid having several votes in Parliament that could be a strain on the fragile coalition.
The most contentious issues in the negotiations relate to structural reforms aimed at lifting barriers to competition.
