FRANKFURT (MNI) – There is no interest in writing off any portion
of the debt that Greece’s government owes its international creditors,
German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported late Wednesday.
Above all, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble made clear
during a conference call of Eurozone finance ministers earlier Wednesday
that there was “no appetite” among Athens’ creditors to forgive its
loans, the newspaper reported, citing sources involved in the
negotiations.
MNI earlier had erroneously cited the paper as attributing these
comments to the EU’s Economics and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli
Rehn.
Options still on the table to ease Greece’s fiscal path include
lowering interest payments further or extending the time for Greece to
repay its debts, according to the paper’s sources.
Rehn, in an interview with the paper, said the Eurogroup was still
trying to decide how to lower Greece’s debt load. He said the Greek
parliament would have to approve a new fiscal package for 2013 and 2014
“in time” for Greece to receive the next E31.5 billion tranche of EU
aid.
“Efforts are still needed from all partners, but they are
especially needed from Greek parliamentarians,” Rehn told the paper.
The Greek parliament Wednesday approved a plan to privatize public
utilities, and it is expected to take up the 2013 budget, and a package
of new deficit cuts totaling E13.5 billion, next week.
–Frankfurt bureau, +49-69-720-142; ccermak@mni-news.com
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