European Stability Mechanism

The agreement on Greek pension and income tax reforms reached on Tuesday morning paves the way for discussions on debt relief for Athens, the eurozone bailout fund ESM said in a statement.

Greece has exceeded its primary surplus targets so we have the basis for the conclusion of the review of the Greek programme, said European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.

Greece’s fiscal consolidation has been positive and strong and the country could return to the markets before the end of the current bailout program next year, European Stability Mechanism head, Klaus Regling, said in a speech at the Atlantic Council “EuroGrowth Initiative” event, held in Washington DC on Thursday.

The International Monetary Fund may finance Greece's current bailout program with a small amount for one year, the country's government spokesman said on Thursday, adding that the issue was under discussion between Athens and its creditors.

A spokesman for the European Stability Mechanism, the eurozone's bailout fund, has said that possible additional debt relief measures for Greece could be decided only at the end of the bailout program, contrary to Athens's hopes of an earlier deal to reduce its huge debt.

The Hellenic Bank Association (HBA) on Tuesday presented the head of the European Stability Mechanism, Klaus Regling, with figures showing the improvement in the fundamentals of the local credit system in 2016 while informing him of the challenges it now faces, particularly as regards liquidity and the efficient management of nonperforming loans.

Greece will be able to return to financial markets in the summer of 2018 and can end its bailout program, but it must implement with determination the reforms agreed with its creditors if it wants to regain the trust of private investors, the head of the eurozone bailout fund said on Thursday.

The CEO of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Klaus Regling believes Greece can regain the markets’ trust and return on a path of economic growth if it implements the agreed reforms. Speaking to a convention in Munich on Thursday, Mr.

Eurozone President Jeroen Dijsselbloem has issued a written statement following the informal mini-Eurozone meeting in Brussels, late Friday. “Today the Greek minister of Finance, the institutions (European Commission, ECB, ESM and IMF) and I had a constructive meeting on the state of play of the second review.

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said the size of Greece’s primary budget surplus, which excludes interest payments, would be one topic of discussion at a planned meeting in Brussels later on Friday. Apart from Mr.