IMF may take back seat in Greek talks with missed payment

Washington

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) was always a secondary player in the group of creditors bailing out Greece. It's about to be pushed into an even less prominent role.

The institution was invited by Greece and European leaders to lend its financial fire-power and expertise at the height of Europe's sovereign-debt crisis. Countries such as Germany have lauded the IMF as a voice of reason at the negotiating table, even though the fund's financial contribution has been smaller than those of its creditor partners including euro-area states and, more recently, the European Central Bank (ECB).