Tsipras meeting with creditors ends without agreement

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the heads of its creditor institutions ended their meeting without reaching an agreement on a series of proposals from both sides, European officials told EFE on Thursday.

Creditors agreed on a series of documents, incorporating some terms from Greece’s proposals, which were to be delivered to the Eurogroup, but “have not been accepted by Athens,” officials added.

However, the troika institutions (the European Commission, or EC, the European Central Bank, or ECB, and the International Monetary Fund, or IMF) considered that these documents, the details of which have yet to be disclosed, were agreed upon “unanimously” and may form the basis for an agreement.

Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde, vice president for the Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovskis, and the managing director of the European Stability Mechanism, Klaus Regling, all left the meetings without making any statements.

Greek government officials told EFE that two documents are on the Eurogroup’s table, one that has reform proposals from Athens and another from the troika, while they noted that Greece would not accept a “take it or leave it” situation.

The Greek side remains firm regarding its proposals, which were submitted on Monday as a “good basis” for a deal, arguing that its proposals represent a realistic perspective for an immediate agreement, in line with the Eurogroup statement on Greece on Feb. 20 that extended Greece’s bailout deal for four months but also determined the framework conditions for an agreement.

Officials also noted that the Greek government has shown responsibility and willingness to offer solutions, and they emphasized that the time had come for everyone else to do the same.

Other Eurozone officials assured EFE that the content of the troika’s proposal reflects a genuine desire to get closer to Greece.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varufakis refused to comment as well upon his arrival to the Eurogroup meeting, while his Austrian counterpart Hans Jorg Schelling described the Greek government’s attitude as “irresponsible.”

Schelling characterized the Greek delegation as dragging their heels to negotiate, while he warned that concessions must be made if consensus is not reached after the Eurogroup studies the new proposals.