Analysts point out that Greece will continue to have support from the EU in the form of a precautionary credit line

As Reuters reports, Greece has officially begun talks to end the IMF aid to the country, but will continue to have regular evaluations by IMF according to a Greek official said after talks with the head of the IMF on Sunday.

The IMF is very unpopular in Greece for insisting on austerity cuts under the bailout program while Prime Minister Antonis Samaras hopes that “cutting ties with the IMF will help turn around his flagging political fortunes”, as Reuters mentions.

“Everything is on the table, the discussions have started. The IMF is positive because it believes that it has contributed to progress in Greece,” a Greek finance ministry official said after a meeting with IMF chief Christine Lagarde.

“The IMF continues with a post-program review in every country it lends to…we will have a relationship with the IMF but not under the same conditions.”

According to Reuters’ article, the IMF’s role in Greece after it leaves, will have political implications for the government, which wants to present IMF departure as the end of IMF’s supervision, while the opposition argues that ” any such end will only be in name”.

However, analysts point out that Greece will continue to have support from the EU in the form of a precautionary credit line or a similar program, which would come at the price of some reforms.