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February 20, 2015

European Ministers Hold Key Meeting on Greece's Fate 
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European finance ministers are meeting today in Brussels for key talks
on the financial future of Greece. On Thursday, Greece formally
requested a six-month extension of its current loan deal, without making
a firm commitment to the deep austerity cuts dictated under its
international bailout. But German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel
rejected the request.

Sigmar Gabriel: "We've recently received an offer from the Greek
government, which has been made to all the EU member states as well as
the Eurogroup, in which Greece for the first time accepts that without
reforms there will be no European (financial) aid. That is a beginning.
But we also have to say that this offer is insufficient because it lacks
all specific measures in Greece. And that cannot happen. We cannot make
it easier in Greece on the shoulders of German and European taxpayers.
Over the next few days, especially tomorrow, we need to negotiate
further to find an agreement on specific measures."

 

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