In a meeting including the Government Vice-President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, as well as Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis at the Maximos Mansion government headquarters on Monday, Premier Antonis Samaras set the issue of accelerating privatizations.

According to AMNA, Hardouvelis went to the Maximos Mansion immediately after concluding a 3.5 hour-long meeting with the representatives of Greece΄s lenders – known as the troika – which focused mainly on privatisation delays and downwards revisions of yearly targets. According to people with knowledge of the troika deliberations, Monday΄s discussions proved productive.

The government is hopeful that by sticking to the budget – attaining its targets – will help it negotiate with the troika in the autumn on possible tax relief measures. The troika is currently scrutinizing the budget, looking into its progress, as well as the projection of its data into the future. Both the government and the troika appear to be primarily concerned with the ways in which the old vicious circle of the economy can be transformed into a virtuous one, so as to assist Greece΄s recovery.

The troika also met on Monday evening with Education Minister Andreas Loverdos, having discussed the staff evaluation issue, as well as the common programme of the Education and Labour ministries regarding professional training and apprenticeship.