SYRIZA spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis has announced that Greece will meet its debt repayments in June.
The announcement came just days after interior minister Nikos Voutsis appeared in a television interview, stating that repayment money owed in June “will not be given and is not there to be given”.
Mr Sakellaridis also refuted the possibility of imposed capital controls, which would restrict money transfers and access to savings.
However, for debt repayments to go ahead, Greece must reach a deal with its creditors within the coming days to unlock bailout funds, which Mr Sakellaridis claims will soon be achieved.
“That is the government’s intention and the target we have set,” he said. “By the end of May, the start of June, to be able to have a mutually beneficial agreement.”
Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis backed up the message when interviewed by the BBC, stating that “Greece has made enormous strides at reaching a deal”.
“It is now up to institutions to do their bit. We have met them three-quarters of the way, they need to meet us one-quarter of the way,” said Mr Varoufakis.
Greece’s statements on its commitment to meeting its debt obligations has been received with cautious optimism in Germany.
Following Mr Sakellaridis’ comments, Reuters reported a senior German official saying, “I find it encouraging, if it is true, that the Greeks signalled yesterday their desire to repay the 300 million euros to the IMF on June 5”.
“I think there is reason to believe that we will not be talking about a default situation around June 5, neither before or immediately thereafter,” he added.
With Greece’s last loan received in August, reaching an agreement with its creditors to hand over the final instalment of its bailout loan of €7.2 billion is essential in meeting its June repayment of €6.74 billion, or risk defaulting on its loans.
Source: BBS, Reuters
