Greek finance minister visits US to meet IMF head
Source: AP-Excite
ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis will travel to Washington to meet with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and unspecified US Treasury officials, the Greek government has announced.
Varoufakis will meet Lagarde Sunday evening and the Treasury officials Monday.
Greece is locked into difficult negotiations with its creditors over its bailout program and this has delayed the disbursement of a 7.2 billion euro ($7.9 billion euros) aid tranche and led to a cash crunch, forcing the government to tap into reserves to meet its obligations.
Earlier Saturday, deputy finance minister Dimitris Mardas told TV station Mega that Greece has the funds to repay a 450 million euro ($493.8 million) loan instalment to the IMF on April 9, but it is up to the government to decide whether to pay.
Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150404/eu-greece-bailout-997fef89ed.html
Demeter
(85,373 posts)???ή ?ύ??
(kalí̱ týchi̱ )
You are swimming with the killer sharks.
The International Misery Fund.
Greece is truly fighting the good fight here, and deserve the support of all people of good conscience.
Opa!
KoKo
(84,711 posts)What...??? Are talks being held in U.S. with the implication that it is for us to help bail out Greece?
Tell me this isn't so...
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)Either they balance their spending and taxes, or default.
They better not be expecting the US taxpayers to bail out them out.
mother earth
(6,002 posts)I applaud Greece & their efforts. It is clear Syriza honors the wishes of its people, and is taking measures to deal with this crisis so Greece does not get usurped by the right wing neo-Nazis that would love take over and push Syriza out.
I wish success on all these efforts at every front.
These are desperate times for Greece & other victims of predatory capitalism. I'd much rather see solutions and help offered to a nation that is trying to reform, rather than spend endless money on war & destruction.
Solidarity with Syriza! Let's hope there will soon be an end to the strangleholds & rule by oligarchy. This is all about putting an end to shock doctrine and the push to privatize, pillage and plunder.
Germany needs a damned wake up, the dominoes may soon be falling.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)fallen prey. Pity they don't have their own currency printing presses.
mother earth
(6,002 posts)this point is survival and reform. Reform WILL happen. Which is why I absolutely support Syriza & I hope we have our own Syriza moment in this country. I believe we will, because this house of cards is falling, people are no longer buying the BS. We see beyond the lies & how we are no longer being represented.
The thing in the balance right now, is REFORM, it can happen in a way that will enable the EU to maintain what they are now, OR it can unfold in a very rocky way. There are too many desperate people without options for reform not to happen. I hope for the sake of all people, that this enfolds in a smooth fashion. Germany is committing suicide by denying options imo. I believe this meeting with Lagarde is to try to find common ground and solutions that can be implemented while not betraying Syriza promises. Greece is in good hands. If only we could find our own Varoufakis.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)For the world's sake, I hope it can be a smooth transition, but those with the most to lose and hold the power currently, are not usually in a negotiating mood and hang on for dear political life.
Count me a bit cynical, but a person of Yanis' ability would not be a viable candidate for anything right now. Warren may be as close as we have and I have hope for the Leftist Castro brothers. There are others, but no one else stands out for me right now.
But it is coming, with that I agree.
mother earth
(6,002 posts)ever dare to come close.
The Germans are at issue, QE there, just like here, enriches the oligarchy. What is happening globally is enrichment of the entrenched power players & all people, the masses, are the losers in what is playing out. But the day is coming, when we do realize just like MLK, that all men are created equal.
I think the IMF wants a smooth transition too, none of the players are fools, I think we will have a somewhat smooth road to true reform, what plays out this year is pivotal.
Mark April 9th on your calendar.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)the Millenial's chance...because my son is one of them.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Leaving your monetary policy in the hands of larger, richer countries is a recipe for trouble. And now they are kinda stuck. They can't just drop it now while in such a deep debt hole, it would be a financial disaster for some years to come. But I hope they are able to fight the silly-ass austerity nuts who are determined to choke the Greek economy into oblivion.
Ultimately, Greece needs a sustainable fiscal policy. Venezuela is the perfect example of what happens when you promote economic populism without long term sustainability.
But Yanis, unlike Chavez, and especially unlike Maduro, actually seems to know what he's doing, so I wish the best for them.