Euclid Tsakalotos meets with IMF head Lagarde in Washington

IMF to return to Athens next week

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos had a series of meetings in Washington during the IMF-World Bank summit in an effort to present his views on the progress of negotiations between the country and its lenders. On the sidelines of the Summit, Tsakalotos met with IMF Director Christine Lagarde and agreed that the IMF representatives would return to Athens next week. Lagarde repeated the Fund was ready to back the Greek program based on realistic medium and long term goals, as well as a debt relief. Both agreed that a deal on the review of the Greek program should be reached as soon as possible. Tskalotos told reporters that the meeting with the IMF head was ‘constructive’, adding he was satisfied with the meeting. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew stressed the need for the IMF to remain in the Greek program, while he called on a fast solution with a spirit of compromise and concessions between Greece and its lenders. Lew met with Greek Minister for Economy George Stathakis and repeated the US position for a quick solution on the matter. Lew had also met with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble on the Greek matter and urged all parties to work on a substantive debt relief. Tsakalotos is expected to meet with Eurgroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem later Saturday, while Economy Minister George Stathakis will meet with US Deputy Secretary for Energy and and Environment Catherine Novelli.