Greece has days for reform deal, must start third bailout talks

By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Greece has only days left to reach a cash-for-reforms deal with creditors because it needs to start negotiating a third bailout that would save it from bankruptcy after the current programme ends in June, euro zone officials said on Wednesday. Cut off from markets, Athens is fast running out of cash to pay salaries, service loans and redeem maturing debt. The 240 billion euro bailout from euro zone governments and the International Monetary Fund, under which Athens could still get some money, expires at the end of June. "The financing of the Greek government is not sustainable without a third programme, additional financing," a senior euro zone official said ahead of a meeting of euro zone deputy finance ministers on Wednesday.

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1st meeting of Cyprus' rival leaders postponed

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A Cypriot government official says the first meeting between the country's Greek Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades and the newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has been postponed until next week.

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Greece close to minimum agreement deal with creditors, says deputy PM

Yannis Dragasakis suggests deal will unlock delayed funds country needs to avoid default as an interim solution onlyGreece could seal a deal with its creditors in early May, its deputy prime minister said on Wednesday, as the country prepared a new list of reforms and the European Central Bank provided more support to its beleaguered banks.But Yannis Dragasakis warned it was likely to be only a “minimum agreement” to unlock the delayed funds Greece needed to avoid default. He said: “Now we are going to a minimum agreement with actions that can be taken immediately. But [in the long-term] not just any solution will suffice. The solution has to be viable. After the interim agreement a long discussion about the debt, primary surpluses, investment and growth will follow.” Continue reading...

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Europe Credit Squeeze Ending

Europe’s credit squeeze ended in March, ECB figures say, but a report suggests that concerns over Greece could dampen economic recovery.

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Debt crisis: Greek finance minister attacked at a restaurant

THE Greek finance minister has been attacked in a restaurant to top an already bad week for the official amid rising tensions over Greece's economy.

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'Prime Minister's Question Time' in Greek parliament

Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras sent a letter to the President of the Greek Parliament Zoi Konstantopoulou and informed her that every Friday, beginning May 8, he will be present in arliament to answer MPs' questions. This is ...

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Gazprom expects to build Turkish Stream gas pipeline by 2020

The Turkish Stream gas pipeline will have a capacity of 63 billion cubic meters, of which 50 billion cubic meters will be supplied to a new gas hub on the Turkish-Greek border

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