Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and French president Francois Hollande agreed on Thursday that a new bailout for Greece could and should be agreed within days.
The two men were speaking in Egypt on the sidelines of a ceremony to inaugurate the upgraded Suez Canal.
President Hollande, speaking to reporters at the inauguration, said: “The objective is for the negotiations on the program to be concluded at the end of August. We know it’s difficult but we must make sure that the conditions are met, in a good spirit.
“For now I believe the atmosphere is right and discussions are going in the best of directions,” he added.
Meanwhile the Greek PM’s office released a statement saying “the two leaders agreed that the negotiations can and must be concluded immediately after August 15”.
European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said the lenders are hoping to finalise the 85 billion ($92.5bn) agreement in time for a debt repayment of more than 3 billion due to the European Central Bank on August 20.
“We believe this is an ambitious yet possible timetable,” she said.
“Our teams have been on the ground almost two weeks, and they report satisfactory progress.”
Sources: Kathimerini, Reuters/AP
