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The forthcoming Euroworking Group meeting will be held tomorrow, probably via a teleconference call and Greece intends to raise the issue of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) repaying the sum of 1.2 billion euro. This is provided for in the agreement of the Eurogroup of 20 February, on condition that Greece starts to implement the reforms described therein.

According to the Greek media, earlier today President of the council of euro zone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem had sent a letter to the European Financial Stability Facility and to Euroworking Group President Thomas Wieser, inviting them to urgently discuss the request of Greece.

The information on the intervention of Dijsselbloem was disseminated by news agency MNI but it has not been confirmed by an official source.

At the same time, according to the correspondent of the Greek daily Kathimerini in Brussels, the chances of the Greek request being accepted are very small. According to the report, an EU representative stated that it was a political decision that the Euroworking Group could not take, especially in the absence of corresponding measures in the form of reforms offered by Athens.

The same official said that it would be easier to grant Greece the sum of 1.9 billion euro, which is equal to the profits of the ECB from Greek government bonds, rather than to grant the 1.2 billion euro requested.

Sources in Brussels are adamant that Athens must first submit a complete list of reforms, then parliament should vote a series of measures and only then will it be decided which capital will be provided to it as part of the last tranche of the rescue programme.

The results of the work of the technical teams of the institutions (the former supervisory Troika) that continue to collect information on the economic situation of Greece in Athens are about to be discussed as well. Brussels stresses that the new rules under which their leaders are not in the Greek capital make the situation difficult since the members of the technical teams are not able to offer concrete solutions on issues such as the pressing need for liquidity. The Greek cabinet does not want to be advised by them as a result of which their discussions with the representatives of the Greek ministries are restricted only to the collection of economic data.