Greece wants IMF's participation in new bailout, swift review of program

Greece wants the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s participation in the third Greek bailout and the swift conclusion of the new review of the program to stay on the right track to success, Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said on Monday.

The Greek official dismissed media reports over IMF's objections to the government's proposals for a pension reform during a press briefing in Athens after a series of meetings across European capitals with Greece's lenders last week.

"We do not have any official information on such objections or demands for more austerity measures. We do not conduct negotiations through media leaks," Tsakalotos said.

The Greek minister stressed that Greece welcomes the Fund's participation, next to European partners, in the new bailout sealed last year and is open for compromises.

However, Athens would like to see the conclusion of dialogue and the next assessment of the program within a few weeks rather than months so that the talks on debt relief can start quickly, he said.

Otherwise, the entire program could be derailed, Tsakalotos warned.

Greek officials expected the chief auditors of international lenders in Athens on Monday for the start of the review, but only technical teams arrived, amidst media reports that creditors request more detailed information from Greece first on the planned pension reform and other policies before the assessment begins.

"We will not do the same mistakes. We will not be engaged in endless discussions," said the minister.

Last year, the Left- led government which took office after the January 2015 general elections in Greece held marathon, and sometimes turbulent, discussions with lenders.

They lasted for months before the two sides agree in July on a new three-year bailout to help the debt-laden country avoid default and Grexit and restore growth to overcome the six- year debt crisis. Enditem