Poul Thomsen, the director of the IMF’s European department, expressed hopes that an agreement may be possible between the IMF and Greece’s lenders on the issue of the Greek debt and debt relief.
At a presentation of the IMF’s report on the economic prospects of Europe, Thomsen said that the timetable for activating the IMF’s programme for Greece is very tight, as it must be implemented in tandem with the ESM programme.
The IMF has consistently maintained that the viability of the Greek debt, which requires a major restructuring, is a necessary condition for its participation in the Greek programme.
“It depends on reaching an agreement on the debt issue,” Thomsen said.
He noted that talks between the IMF and the eurozone are ongoing, and that there are still some unresolved issues.
“I hope that the solutions will be found soon,” he said.
