Greek Authorities Deny Reports on Possible Delay in IMF Payments

The Greek government categorically denied on Tuesday media reports that the country could delay the next payment to IMF.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) —The Greek government categorically denied on Tuesday media reports that the country could delay the next payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by six months.

"As an official spokesman of the Greek government, I would like to state that these reports are false," Greek Government press secretary Gavriil Sakellaridis told RIA Novosti.

Deputy Foreign Minister Euclid Tsakalotos confirmed the statement, saying Greece was planning to continue payments without delays.

"We are holding talks with creditors and we are hoping to reach an agreement," Tsakalotos, who is leading technical talks with international creditors, said.

Earlier on Tuesday German tabloid Bild reported citing an unnamed source in the Greek government that Athens is considering delaying the repayment of its $1.7-billion debt to the IMF by half a year.

Greece was among the countries hit the worst by the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. Greece's overall debt is currently estimated to be around $350 billion of which $270 billion the country owes to three of its biggest lenders, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union and the European Central Bank.

Early in June Athens postponed repaying $350 million to the IMF pledging instead to bundle it into a single $1.8-billion payment by the end of the month.