Government optimism for a positive review from Brussels

Up until just a few days ago, the main field of pending actions for the successful closure of the fourth post-bailout assessment by the country's creditors, in the context of Greece's enhanced surveillance, was the energy sector, according to sources from Brussels.

The latest information now shows that the open issues in this sector appear to be closing, which generates optimism among Finance Ministry officials that a favorable report will be issued by the European Commission on November 20.

Government sources note that Greece's creditors are also keenly awaiting the bill that will set in motion the Hercules plan for the reduction of Greek banks' nonperforming loans. While it is explained that Hercules is not a prior action required for the fourth assessment, there is a definite interest in it due to the extent of the problem. Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said...