Varoufakis Confirms Greece Unable to Make IMF Debt Payment

Southeast Europe | June 30, 2015, Tuesday // 15:53|  views

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis arrives at the Finance Ministry in Athens, Greece, on 28 June 2015, for a meeting of Systemic Stability Council. Photo: EPA

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis confirmed that the country will not make its debt repayment to the IMF, which falls due later on Tuesday.

Varoufakis said this in a response to a question whether the country will make the EUR 1.6 B payment due to the IMF as he was walking into the building of the finance ministry on Tuesday, daily Kathimerini reports.

His comments came amid rumours that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is trying to negotiate a last-minute deal with the international creditors before the payment falls due and before the European part of the Greek bailout comes to an end.

A Greek official revealed that Tsipras has held conversations with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi and European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

According to sources, the Greek government is discussing whether to accept the last offer, which would allow Greece to repay part of its debt.

Under the deal, an emergency meeting of eurozone finance ministers would be convened, which would approve an aid payment to Greece to prevent the country from defaulting.

The European Commission said that the last offer was identical to the Friday one, while Greek media claim that it is different.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel dismissed any hopes of achieving a last-minute deal with Greece, saying she was not aware of Juncker having made any new offer to Athens.

According to her, the last offer, which has been made to Greece was the one presented by the European Commission on Friday.

Merkel added that the bailout program expires at exactly midnight Central European Time, but this did not mean that the doors would remain closed for negotiations.

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Tags: bailout, creditors, Martin Schulz, European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, Alexis Tsipras, Yanis Varoufakis, European Commission, IMF, repayment, debt, greece, default, Eurozone

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