Euro zone, IMF reach agreement on a common stance on Greece: official

[BRUSSELS] Euro zone lenders and the International Monetary Fund have reached an agreement between themselves on a common stance they will present to Greece, a senior euro zone official said.

A meeting between the lenders and Greek officials is scheduled for later on Friday, the head of euro zone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem said in The Hague. "There is agreement to present a united front to the Greeks," the euro zone official said, adding that the outcome of Friday's meeting with the Greeks was still unclear and it was unclear if Athens would accept the proposals. "What comes out of it, we will see," the official said.

A united stance among euro zone governments and the IMF is a breakthrough because they have differed for months on the size of the primary surplus Greece should reach in 2018 and maintain for years later as well as the issue of debt relief.

Those differences have hindered efforts to unlock further funding for Greece under its latest euro zone bailout programme.

REUTERS