Greece's ex-FinMin says IMF did not demand debt relief

Former Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou issued a statement on Tuesday denying claims that the International Monetary Fund’s ex-Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn had insisted that the Greek debt be restructured as part of the bailout deal signed in May 2010.

“Strauss-Kahn called me to a meeting at his office at 7 a.m. on April 24, 2010. [ECB President Jean-Claude] Trichet and [European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli] Rehn were also present to finalize the details of the program,” Papaconstantinou said in a statement published by Ta Nea newspaper.

“There, Trichet and Rehn strictly ruled out any discussion about debt restructuring. Strauss-Kahn was in total agreement with them.”

As Kathimerini reported recently, Papaconstantinou informed Trichet in April 2011 that Greece intended to ask for a rescheduling of its debt.

This prompted Trichet to write to the Greek government and warn that such a move would likely result in liquidity provided by the ECB to local banks being cut off.