BRUSSELS/ATHENS (Reuters) – Euro zone finance ministers dropped plans on Tuesday for a special face-to-face meeting on Greece’s new international bailout, as the cabinet in Athens argued up to the last minute on plugging a 325 million euro ($427 million)gap in its austerity plan.

Ministers in the Eurogroup had been expected to gather in Brussels on Wednesday for a meeting which, if all had gone to plan, would have approved the 130 billion euro rescue and save Greece from a messy bankruptcy next month.

ATHENS, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Greece’s government was
considering further cuts to defence spending and public sector
salaries on Tuesday to secure approval for a multi-billion-euro
EU/IMF rescue package, government sources said.

The cuts were on the agenda of a cabinet session chaired by
Prime Minister Lucas Papademos that began at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT).

ATHENS, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Greece has a long history
of promising reforms to its creditors and not delivering, and
this time looks set to be no different.

The Greek parliament defied violent street protests and
voted in even more austerity, but fully implementing the
measures is likely to prove an impossible task given acrimonious
political divisions and deep-seated social unrest.

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told his turbulent coalition government on Friday to accept a harsh international bailout deal or condemn the nation to catastrophe.

“We cannot allow Greece to go bankrupt,” he told a cabinet meeting. “Our priority is to do whatever it takes to approve the new economic program and proceed with the new loan agreement.”

ROME/ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Italy’s Mario Monti were appointed within days of each other last November to replace politicians who took their countries to the brink of financial collapse.

Both sober former economics professors who have helped cement “technocrat” into the lexicon of Europe’s debt crisis, they were rushed in to head emergency governments as fears grew that the entire euro project was heading for a train wreck.

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece expects to conclude difficult debt talks with private creditors within days and negotiations with the EU and the IMF on a new bailout deal by the middle of next week, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told Reuters on Friday.

Speaking at his neo-classical office shortly before resuming talks with bankers on a bond swap deal that is key to saving the euro zone member from bankruptcy, Papademos said: “Greece will not default.”

ATHENS, Jan 27 (Reuters) – Greece expects to conclude
difficult debt talks with private creditors within days and
negotiations with the EU and the IMF on a new bailout deal by
the middle of next week, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told
Reuters on Friday.

Speaking at his neo-classical office shortly before resuming
talks with bankers on a bond swap deal that is key to saving the
euro zone member from bankruptcy, Papademos said: “Greece will
not default.”

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece expects to conclude difficult debt talks with private creditors within days and negotiations with the EU and the IMF on a new bailout deal by the middle of next week, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told Reuters on Friday.

Speaking at his neo-classical office shortly before resuming talks with bankers on a bond swap deal that is key to saving the euro zone member from bankruptcy, Papademos said: “Greece will not default.”

ZURICH/ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s private creditors pleaded Tuesday with European officials who rejected their bond swap offer to hammer together a deal before Athens tumbles into a chaotic default.

Athens’ hopes for a swift deal with lenders were evaporating after euro zone ministers Monday rejected creditors’ demand for a 4 percent coupon, or interest rate, on new, longer-dated bonds in exchange for existing debt.

ZURICH/ATHENS, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Greece’s private
creditors pleaded on Tuesday with European officials who
rejected their bond swap offer to hammer together a deal before
Athens tumbles into a chaotic default.

Athens’ hopes for a swift deal with lenders were evaporating
after euro zone ministers on Monday rejected creditors’ demand
for a 4 percent coupon, or interest rate, on new, longer-dated
bonds in exchange for existing debt.