Athens: Greece is seeking help from France, its close ally in the 19-country eurozone, as it seeks to overcome stubborn sticking points in its bailout talks and return to international bond markets later this year.
France's Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and Finance Minister Michel Sapin were in Athens on Friday for talks, as negotiations with bailout inspectors in the Greek capital continued for a fourth consecutive day.
Cazeneuve met Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and described recent improvements in Greek economy as "spectacular," while Sapin said France was working to keep the International Monetary Fund in the Greek rescue program. "France is here to facilitate things, to show to everyone and to the institutions that it is time to reach an agreement, that it's time to look to the future," Sapin said.
Greece has been dependent on bailout loans from its partners in the eurozone and the IMF since 2010 and has repeatedly relied on French support to keep negotiations with bailout lenders from collapsing.
In 2014, Greece did manage to stage a one-off return to bond markets with a €3bn($3.1bn) auction of 5-year-bonds, but has since struggled with renewed political uncertainty and high interest rates.
Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis said the country could hold a 2017 "test" auction before the end of the year if current negotiations with rescue lenders are concluded "in the next few weeks" and the European Central Bank accepts Greece in its bond-buying stimulus program.
