Brussels: European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said he would meet later Wednesday in Brussels with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a bid to reach a deal on bailout talks with Greece.
"I still have some problems to sort out in connection with what we call the Greek case, which will require me to hold various meetings today, including one with the Greek prime minister," Juncker said.
Speaking at a development conference, he said he would "have to leave at the end of the discussion" to start his meetings.
Aides to Tsipras had said the young premier was coming to Brussels to present Juncker his government`s 46-page proposal to overhaul the Greek economy and meet the demands of its bailout.
Greece`s creditors, the EU, IMF and ECB, are widely understood to have their own plan to lay on the table, one that includes measures the Greek government has repeatedly refused over the past four months of fruitless negotiations.
European sources said the talks in Brussels could reportedly also include Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the Eurogroup.
Greece and its international creditors are at a critical phase in talks to reach a deal to unlock 7.2 billion euros ($8.0 billion) to help Athens make Friday`s 300 million euro repayment to the IMF.
But months of fractious talks have been stalled over creditors` insistence that Athens undertake greater reforms which Greece`s anti-austerity government has refused to match.
Without a deal by the end of this week, fears are growing that Greece could default, possibly setting off a chain reaction that could end with a messy exit from the eurozone and cause havoc to the economy in Europe and the world.
