Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem agreed at the EU Council to begin a technical assessment aimed at finding common ground between Greece’s current fiscal program and the Greek government’s plans. This meeting would lay the groundwork for a discussion at the Eurogroup meeting scheduled for Monday, February 16.

Over the next 80 hours, the Greek side will hold discussions with representatives of Greece’s troika of international creditors from the European Central Bank (ECB), European Commission (EC) and International Monetary Funds (IMF) in an effort to negotiate an agreement. The government is willing to meet with the group as a goodwill gesture, however refuses to state that this means that it is backing down on its pledge to end austerity. The point of the meeting is to reconnoitre prior to the Eurogroup meeting on Monday.

As a result of Tsipras’ agreement with Dijsselbloem, two technical working groups, representing Greece and the Troika are expected to start work as early as Friday following failure to reach agreement at Wednesday’s extraordinary Eurogroup meeting. The move is aimed at defusing tension and allowing for technical assessments.

The two sides will present their conclusions on Monday. Sources state that the Greek government has pledged to avoid new deficits and to check expenditures and keep to the policy agreements of the government as publicly stated by Tsipras.