4.03pm The country's lenders will need a positive report on its reform progress before releasing a planned second tranche of aid worth around 4 billion euros at the end of June, Germany's finance ministry said on Friday.
"For the payment of the scheduled second tranche a troika evaluation is of course required," ministry spokesman Martin Kotthaus told a news conference.
The troika comprises officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
4.00pm The risk of contagion from Greece's economic crisis spreading to other euro zone countries has lessened, Austrian Finance Minister Maria Fekter said on Friday. "The measures we set are very, very painful for Greece and cost a lot of money in the euro zone but we had hardly any other possibilities," she told Austrian radio in an interview. "Now the contagion risk is not there to the same extent, so I assume the banking landscape in Europe would be prepared for this." If Greece was unable to pay its debts, that would hit the European Central Bank and the countries that have helped Greece out, she said, adding:
"I am fighting to give the Greeks time to get into better shape economically. You have to think in different time horizons for state problems."
She said there was no chance for other countries to eject Greece from the euro zone. "But if the Greeks decide themselves to exit then the community of nations has to take note of this, but then the aid is also stopped."
questi stanno cercando di spingere fuori i greci, non posso credere che siano così stupidi, è tutta settimana che gli è esplosa la favella con ste dichiarazioni a senso unico, ne hanno rilasciate più in 3 giorni che in tre anni, abbiamo capito m.inkia.
Mi auguro che formino un governo che abbia nel programma la permanenza nell' euro ma pure la ridiscussione degli accordi. Sti krukki di mmm.erda