MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Saturday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced that the referendum on whether to accept an accord for a new bailout with Greece’s creditors would take place July 5.
The motion was passed with an approval of at least 179 out of 300 lawmakers, according to the Sky News.
Prior to the beginning of the voting, Tsipras said that he hoped "the Greek people will say an emphatic no to the ultimatum" of the international lenders.
Earlier in the day, eurozone finance ministers, who gathered in Brussels for a new round of talks on Greek debt, refused to extend Greece's bailout program beyond June 30 deadline.
On Tuesday, Greece is expected to secure an additional financial aid package as the current bailout program expires. Athens is also due to make a $1.7-billion debt payment to the International Monetary Fund.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, left, speaks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as he arrives for a meeting prior to an EU summit at EU headquarters in Brussels
© AP Photo / Virginia Mayo
