BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union is urging Greece to speed up work on its economic reform plan so it can swiftly get rescue money that can help it pay upcoming debts.
With a deadline for completing the package fast approaching, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was “not satisfied” with developments over recent weeks, as he went into talks Friday in Brussels with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
“I don’t think that we’ve made sufficient progress,” Juncker said.
Greece’s creditors in the 19-country eurozone agreed last month to extend the country’s bailout program by four months on condition the government draws up a credible reform package by the end of April. Rescue loans have been frozen pending agreement, piling pressure on the Greek government at a time when revenues are below expectations.
Greek officials confirmed that the country paid a 348 million euro instalment to the International Monetary Fund due Friday, part of a total 1.5 billion euros Greece has to repay the Washington D.C.-based institution fund this month. Tsipras has pledged that the country will pay all debts that are due soon, even if rescue loans are not forthcoming.