German fin. min. claims ignorance of Athens shift to negotiating new overall package
German finance ministry spokeswoman Friederike von Tiesenhausen on Monday (04/05) said she had no information to the effect that the Greek negotiating team was no longer negotiating an end to the current programme but for a new overall aid package, as reported from Athens.
She also referred to reports at the weekend, which said there was progress in the negotiations but a number of issues that were still open.
According to the spokeswoman, there had been extensive discussion on all the steps needed to wrap up the current programme and disburse the remaining funds. She stressed that every disbursement must go through the German Parliament, since the German representative in the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) had to receive the go-ahead to release the funds.
"Therefore, before any disbursement Parliament must first convene," von Tiesenhausen added when asked whether Parliament's ratification was needed in the case of a partial disbursement of financial aid to Greece.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert, meanwhile, on Monday declined to comment on the possibility that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras might attend celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis in Moscow.
He pointed out that many EU heads of state have gone to Moscow for the events, while the German Chancellor is due to visit on May 10.
Asked whether there were concerns that Greece might block further EU sanctions against Russia, Seibert pointed out that all steps had so far been taken unanimously and that all sides were working to keep it that way in the future.
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