Monday, June 22, 2015

Greece may make new offer to creditors while British banks slash exposure to Athens over euro fears


Greece may make new proposals to creditors in order to reach an agreement to release more bailout cash, a Greek minister said today.
The news comes as the European Central Bank yesterday extended Greece a financial lifeline in a desperate effort to prop up the country’s crippled banking system.
The ECB raised the ceiling on so-called emergency liquidity assistance, which the banks rely on to keep their doors open, by €1.8billion.
Proposals: Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will probably speak with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker by phone today ahead of Monday's meeting
Proposals: Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will probably speak with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker by phone today ahead of Monday's meeting
‘We will try to supplement our proposal so that we get closer to a solution,’ State Minister Alekos Flabouraris tolda Greek television show. 
‘We are not going there with the old proposal. Some work is being done to see where we can converge, so that we achieve a mutually beneficial solution.’
He also said that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will probably speak with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker by phone today to try to end the deadlock ahead of Monday’s emergency meeting between eurozone leaders.
Greece is due to repay €1.6billion (£1.1billion) to the International Monetary Fund on June 30, but earlier this week it said it didn't have the money. 
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said that Athens will not be given a ‘grace period’ if it fails to make the payment.
The country has been locked in negotiations with European leaders but it has failed to reach an agreement over the reforms requested by its creditors in return for more funds. 
The news comes as British banks slashed their exposure to Greece yesterday amid fears the country is heading for bankruptcy and expulsion from the eurozone.
Figures from the Bank of England showed the UK lenders, pension funds and other financial firms had £2billion tied up in the crisis torn nation at the end of March. That was the smallest amount since records began in 2004 and down from £9.6billion a year earlier and a peak of £12.4billion in March 2008.
British banks have been pulling out of Greece in order to protect themselves from financial and economic collapse. 
Bank of England and Treasury officials are confident the UK financial system can withstand a Greek default and exit from the eurozone – but they are worried about the knock-on effect on economic confidence. Earlier this year, bank governor Mark Carney told MPs that British banks had ‘a very small direct exposure to Greece’. 
But he has raised concerns about the impact of a Grexit on economic stability in the eurozone, Britain’s biggest trading partner.
The European Central Bank yesterday extended Greece a financial lifeline in a desperate effort to prop up the country’s crippled banking system.
It is feared Greek banks might be forced to remain closed on Monday as savers withdraw cash faster than the authorities can provide support. Greeks have pulled more than £2billion out of their banks in recent days.

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