The Greek government will not be able to meet a payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in June, Greek Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis told ‘Mega TV’ on Sunday. “The four installments for the IMF in June amount 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion), this money will not be given and is not there to be given,” Nikos Voutsis told. According to the minister, “this is known and we are discussing on the basis of restrained optimism that there will be a strong agreement.” He stressed that the government would not cave in to the strategy of “suffocation” adopted by the creditors, while adding that a credit event was not in the government’s plans and expressing the opinion that the time was “ripe” for a “reasonable agreement”. According to Voutsis, there were serious disagreements in the negotiations on a number of issues and these issues had to be resolved. He pointed out that reasoning had to prevail in order to proceed with a programme for the country. “In other words, so that an agreement exists that gives the country breathing room, is economically sustainable and politically gives inspiration and opens up a prospect,” he said. (source: ana-mpa)