Athens:
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Monday huddled with ministers and allies ahead of a crucial creditor audit as a European Central Bank official urged it to carry through with tough reforms.
Mr Samaras, who is still recovering from major eye surgery at home, met with the leaders of the socialist and moderate leftist parties that make up his coalition, a government spokesman said.
"The leaders will remain in contact," spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told reporters, adding that the coalition would present its agenda to parliament on Thursday or Friday ahead of a vote of confidence late on Saturday.
Greece's new conservative-led coalition has said it wants to renegotiate some of the terms of its multi-billion bailout with its 'troika' of international creditors - the EU, IMF and the European Central Bank.
But several senior European officials have stressed that Athens has very little room for renegotiation as most of its reforms are behind schedule.
ECB representative Joerg Asmussen, who spoke at an economics conference in Athens on Monday, said the government must put the country's bailout programme back on track and
that Greeks must get behind reforms to ensure their success.
"The programme is the best option for Greece," he said, referring to the austerity measures that are required as part of the rescue loans that have been keeping Greek economy alive and warned against further delays.
Greece was expecting a visit from the "troika" of credit auditors in the aftermath of last week's EU summit that has raised hopes for possible renegotiations. The creditors will assess the overall progress Greece has made in implementing structural reforms that are part of the EU-IMF bailout package.
A positive audit is required for the release the next portion of rescue funds under the country's latest 130 billion euro ($163 billion) bailout, with the government coffers expected to be empty by the end of the month.
Mr Samaras, who is still recovering from major eye surgery at home, met with the leaders of the socialist and moderate leftist parties that make up his coalition, a government spokesman said.
"The leaders will remain in contact," spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told reporters, adding that the coalition would present its agenda to parliament on Thursday or Friday ahead of a vote of confidence late on Saturday.
Greece's new conservative-led coalition has said it wants to renegotiate some of the terms of its multi-billion bailout with its 'troika' of international creditors - the EU, IMF and the European Central Bank.
But several senior European officials have stressed that Athens has very little room for renegotiation as most of its reforms are behind schedule.
ECB representative Joerg Asmussen, who spoke at an economics conference in Athens on Monday, said the government must put the country's bailout programme back on track and
that Greeks must get behind reforms to ensure their success.
"The programme is the best option for Greece," he said, referring to the austerity measures that are required as part of the rescue loans that have been keeping Greek economy alive and warned against further delays.
Greece was expecting a visit from the "troika" of credit auditors in the aftermath of last week's EU summit that has raised hopes for possible renegotiations. The creditors will assess the overall progress Greece has made in implementing structural reforms that are part of the EU-IMF bailout package.
A positive audit is required for the release the next portion of rescue funds under the country's latest 130 billion euro ($163 billion) bailout, with the government coffers expected to be empty by the end of the month.
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