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Sunday, July 12, 2015

Greek debt crisis: EU leaders' meeting cancelled with no deal in sight

Deadlock and lack of trust looms over Brussels, as eurozone finance ministers gather to continue talks over GreeceIntroduction: Eurogroup meeting resumesTusk: Tonight’s head of state meeting is OFF 10.29am BST Pierre Moscovici, the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, insists that Greece can obtain a third bailout and remain in the euro. But it must agree deep reforms, and implement them too.Pierre Moscovici: If #Greece commits to implement and vote now for reforms, there is a basis for a (bailout) programme. There is a path.What we want is a deeply reformed Greece inside the Eurozone, says @pierremoscovici 10.27am BST Greece’s new finance minister was brief and to the point as he arrived:'Morning' is all we get from a chirpy Euclid Tsakalotos of Greece 10.26am BST Peter Kažimír, Slovakia’s finance minister, has ruled out a Greek deal today.It’s just not possible, he says, citing the lack of trust that the eurozone has in the Greek government. Slovakia's fin min Peter Kazimir: "it's not possible to reach a deal today."Kazimir: frontloading reform [would help restore some trust].Slovakia’s Finance Minister Peter Kazimir says there won’t be a deal today. Nothing another weekend summit can’t solve, right?!? 10.21am BST The weather in Brussels matches the mood - it’s grey, dreary and generally depressing.From beneath his umbrella, Finland’s Alex Stubb told reporters that a few steps were taken last night, but much more needs to be done.@alexstubb på väg in t #Eurogroup "If this was negotiation from 1 to 10, I think we’re still standing somewhere between 3 and 4" #Grekland 10.17am BST My colleague Jennifer Rankin is back outside the Eurogroup meeting, as ministers arrive.Pier Carlo Padoan, Italy’s finance minister, has blamed the ‘lack of trust’ with Greece, she reports.Italy's fin min Padoan: main obstacle to moving forward is lack of trust, wants to see Gk gov rebuild trust. #Greece 10.10am BST European Council president Donald Tusk has cancelled tonight’s meeting of all 28 EU heads of state and government.That meeting was meant to be THE decisive event, where leaders could potentially have planned for Greece’s exit from the single currency.I have cancelled #EUCO today. #EuroSummit to start at 16h and last until we conclude talks on #Greece#greece saturday was the ugliest, most depressing day in bxl for a v long time. sunday better or worse? 10.05am BST Good morning. Saturday night’s talks were not to agree on a third bailout, but were negotiations on whether to launch more talks on Greece’s third rescue package in five years. The ministers faced formidable problems, said Schäuble, who argued debt relief for Greece, broadly seen as essential, was banned by the EU treaties: “Athens’s proposals are far from sufficient. The funding gaps are way beyond anything we’ve seen so far,” he said.The hard line was echoed by Peter Kazimir, finance minister of Slovakia, who said that new austerity measures tabled by Athens were already past their sell-by date. Related: Greece nears euro exit as bailout talks break up without agreement Continue reading...


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