Klaus Masuch

Greek government officials will confer with representatives of the "institutions" - EC, ECB, IMF - in style this week, with the upscale Hilton in central Athens serving as the meeting venue, instead of the staid ministry buildings where previous briefings took place.

Technocrats from Greece?s lenders are expected in Athens on Thursday for talks with government officials, a day after technical discussions about the country?s reform program began in Brussels, where a different set of experts representing creditors met with Greek officials.

The "Brussels Group", consisting of low-ranking officials of foreign institutions, are in Athens on Thursday to collect data on the Greek economy.

The Greek Finance Ministry denied on Tuesday that Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis took part in a teleconference with representatives of Greece's creditors.

Varoufakis reportedly spoke with representatives from the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission, in view of a March 9 meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels.

Monday’s Eurogroup is expected to give the formal go-ahead for 1 billion euros in bailout funding to be released for Greece as the troika prepares to return to Athens.