Greece to start technical talks with creditors

Xinhua, March 10, 2015

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said late on Monday that "discussions between the Greek authorities and the institutions must and will start as from Wednesday."

He made the remarks at the press conference after the Eurogroup meeting.

Dijsselbloem also said that as needed, technical teams from the institutions, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, would be sent to Athens to support this process jointly and together also as of Wednesday.

The Eurogroup president underlined the importance of close and efficient cooperation between the Greek authorities and the institutions, adding that "the commitments of no unilateral actions and no rolling-back on measures previously agreed needed to be respected at all times."

Under a deal achieved last month, the four-year Greek bailout which expired on Feb. 28 was extended for four months, giving Greece and its international creditors more time to reach a final contract on the Greek debt crisis.