'Breakthrough' in Greece talks

A breakthrough was achieved in the talks between Greece and the eurozone finance ministers on Friday, which will ensure the southern eurozone nation will have enough money to meet a deadline for debt repayments.

Greece is awaiting the latest tranche of an 86-billion-euro ($91.6-billion) bailout from the European Stability Mechanism, the eurozone's rescue fund, that it needs for debt repayments in July.

Eurozone finance ministers meeting in the Maltese capital of Valletta said Athens agreed in principle to the tough new reforms and technical teams would visit Greece as soon as possible to seal the deal.

Tough reforms

"The big blocks have now been sorted out and now we just have the final stretch," Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said after the talks.

Dijsselbloem said the Greek government accepted to reduce pensions in 2019 and lower tax breaks in 2020 in return for a bailout payment despite widespread public opposition to the new measures.

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said the commitments would pass through parliament as soon as possible, although the gamble relies on his Syriza party's razor-thin majority.

Tsakalotos said his eurozone counterparts had also agreed that Greece could boost social spending if budget targets were met, and that debt relief would also come back to the table.

Ray of hope

Talks between Athens and its creditors had stalled over the last few months with calls for the Greek government to make additional pension cuts, continue to deregulate the labor market and reduce the tax-exemption ceiling.

The IMF had lobbied for austerity measures on Greece to be eased, but other creditors in Europe had disagreed, calling for 3.6 billion euros' worth of further austerity measures.

Earlier this week, Greek president Alexis Tsipras had demanded a meeting of the eurozone nations if there was no breakthrough at the meeting on Friday.

"If the Eurogroup is not in a position to produce a result on Friday, I have asked EU President Donald Tusk to call a summit of eurozone countries," Tsipras said.

"Today is an important day, the moment when everyone has to commit to the details of a good agreement," EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said in Malta.

"Greece needs this; we end the uncertainties that are scaring investors," he added.

The country is due to pay back 1.3 billion euros in April to the European Central Bank (ECB) and a further 4 billion euros this summer.

rd, sri/hg (AFP, dpa)