International Monetary Fund

BELGRADE - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission will visit Serbia for talks on a new three-year arrangement with the country shortly after its new government is formed, Finance Minister Lazar Krstic has announced, adding that public debt reduction will be one of the goals of the new government, making major budget cuts a necessity.

In a report issued on Wednesday, following discussing between the Albanian government and the Fund from October to December, the IMF said Albania’s economy had weakened and macro-economic imbalances had widened.

Gas prices for industrial consumers in Romania will rise by a thumping 24 per cent as of next month, with a sharp impact likely on industry and jobs, experts say.

The move is part of a deregulation schedule agreed with international lenders including the International Monetary Fund, IMF and the World Bank.

Greece has given the only bidder in a deal to develop the former Athens airport of Hellinikon a week to improve its offer, the country's privatisations agency HRADF said on Wednesday.

Three times the size of Monaco, Hellenikon, one of Europe's biggest real estate projects, is crucial for the debt-laden country to meet its 2014 privatisations target.

State employees are to stage on Wednesday a new nationwide strike in Greece.

They are demanding that the government in Athens abandon plans for fresh mass layoffs within the state sector which are a condition of the international bailout program, Dnevnik.bg has reported.

 Gov't confident enough to return to money markets, where interest is strong Piraeus Bank saw its bonds of 500 million euros snapped up, with the issue oversubscribed six times and the interest at just over 5 percent.

By Sotiris Nikas & Yiannis Papadoyiannis

After reaching an agreement with the troika on Tuesday, the Greek government now has to prepare legislation for the reforms it agreed with its lenders in the hope that the disbursement of at least 10 billion euros in loans will be approved at an informal Eurogroup meeting due to take place in Athens on April 1.

By Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Greek yields fell sharply on Tuesday after Athens and international lenders struck a deal to unlock the next tranche of emergency loans following protracted negotiations.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Tuesday insisted that no new austerity measures will be required as part of a deal reached earlier in the day between the Greek government and troika inspectors following seven months of tough negotiations.

"Today a long period of tribulations has ended, and a new beginning is being made," Samaras said.

By Antonis Galanopoulos, Marcus Bensasson & Nikos Chrysoloras

Greece will probably sell bonds for the first time in four years before May as the nation seeks to rebuild its finances following an international bailout, Infrastructure Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said.