IMF and EU at odds over Greek debt sustainability

The International Monetary Fund disagrees with EU projections on Greece's debt sustainability and wants to wait until a clearer outlook emerges before signing off on the next tranche of financial support to Athens, EU officials said on Thursday.

The IMF, which together with the European Commission and the European Central Bank comprises the 'Troika' of inspectors in Greece, believes the EU's debt projections are too optimistic and wants to wait until after a Eurozone summit on Sunday to see if discussions there produce a clearer picture on how the debt levels can be made more sustainable.

"The IMF thinks that estimates by other parts of the Troika are over-optimistic," one source said, while another added: "The IMF will definitely want to see what the Eurogroup and the European Council come up with first," referring to this weekend's meetings.

The IMF was not immediately available to comment.

 (Reuters)