Pappas and Tsakalotos travel to Brussels in search of consensus with creditors
A high-level Greek delegation has traveled to Brussels in the hope of finding common ground between Athens and its lenders before Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Belgium on Wednesday.
Government spokesman Gavriil Sakellaridis revealed during Monday’s regular briefing for journalists that State Minister Nikos Pappas and Alternate Foreign Minister for International Economic Relations Euclid Tsakalotos are leading the government’s delegation to the Belgian capital.
Sakellaridis said the two men had been authorised by Tsipras to take part in deliberations that could help bring Greece and its lenders closer to an agreement on the measures needed to unlock 7.2 billion euros of bailout funding.
The Greek government is thought to be redrafting the 47-page proposal it sent to lenders last week.
Kathimerini understands that Athens is focussing its attention on adjusting the fiscal measures it proposed with the aim of getting closer to the revenue target set by lenders. However, the coalition is reluctant to adjust its VAT proposal, which sees three brackets (6, 11 and 23 percent) rather than the two proposed by lenders (11 and 23).
Greece also seems prepared to raise slightly its primary surplus proposals from 0.6 percent of GDP this year and 1.5 percent next year. The institutions proposed 1 percent for 2015 and 2 percent for 2016. The updated suggestion from the Greek side is not expected to reach these targets.
The government spokesman also insisted that relations between Tsipras and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker remain “excellent.” He denied reports that Juncker had refused to speak to the Greek prime minister on the phone over the weekend.
Sakellaridis said that there were discussion between aides to the two men on Saturday.
