Greece creditors due in Athens ‘in coming days’

ATHENS, Greece – Representatives from Greece’s international creditors are due in Athens in the coming days, the European Commission said, with sources saying logistical issues had pushed back an expected arrival date of Friday.

The officials from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund are due in Athens after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras agreed to start talks on a new bailout for Greece.

“The institutions are expected in the coming days,” a spokeswoman for the Commission told AFP, without giving further details of a likely arrival time.

A source close to the negotiations added: “The mission is being prepared. We are still discussing a location (for the negotiations) as we have to find an accessible place to work, near the ministries.”

A second source spoke of “logistical problems.”

The Greek government kicked out what was previously known as the “troika” of creditors, who are widely loathed in Greece, after the election of Tsipras and his Syriza party on an anti-austerity platform in January.

The aim of the new cycle of talks is to finalise a third international bailout for debt-stricken Greece by August 20, when it has to pay more than 3.0 billion euros to the ECB, followed by a 1.5 billion euros payment to the IMF in September.

Tsipras and his eurozone partners reached a deal at an all-night summit on July 12-13 to give Greece a new rescue programme in exchange for tough reform conditions, including the return of the creditors to Athens. – Rappler.com