(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, JULY 2 - With officials representing
Greece's foreign creditors back for talks delayed by weeks of
political upheaval, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his
new government are bracing for a tough week of talks as Athens
seeks concessions to the conditions of its second debt deal
while the creditors push for swift reforms. Samaras, who missed
a crucial European Union summit last week while recovering from
eye surgery, was locked in meetings with Finance Minister
Yiannis Stournaras and other members of the cabinet over the
weekend, as sources indicated that the premier is likely to push
for the agreement reached by EU leaders last week -- for banks
to receive direct funding from the European Financial Stability
Facility (EFSF) -- to apply to Greece. Greek officials, as daily
Kathimerini reports, believe that this could lighten Greece's
debt burden by 50 billion euros. The issue was reportedly
discussed during a meeting at Samaras's residence in Kifissia,
north of Athens, on Saturday evening, which also involved
Stournaras. The meeting is said to have focused on upcoming
negotiations with officials representing the European
Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary
Fund, known as the troika, and to have examined ways of speeding
up planned privatizations. Samaras and his ministers also
reportedly discussed the government's policy program, which
Samaras will present in Parliament this week, probably on
Thursday, as well as a list of names to head key state companies
and corporations. (ANSAmed).
