The International Monetary Fund is likely to contribute up to 5 billion euros to the third bailout package for Greece, German magazine Der Spiegel said in an unsourced report published on Friday.
It said European lenders were now expecting a sum of this size after originally having hoped for 16 billion euros.
The Fund’s involvement in the program has been uncertain.
Earlier on Friday, a German Finance Ministry spokeswoman said Berlin considered it essential that the IMF participate.
The Spiegel report said the IMF now shared the view of European lenders that Greece should post a primary budget surplus of 3.5 percent of gross domestic product in order to get fresh aid.
Earlier on Friday, German daily Die Welt had reported that Chancellor Angela Merkel had a phone conversation with IMF managing director Christine Lagarde.
Asked to comment on Der Spiegel report, the IMF said “it does not comment on suggestions, its position had not changed, state broadcaster ERT correspondent in Washington said.
Earlier on Friday, German daily Die Welt had reported that Chancellor Angela Merkel had a phone conversation with IMF managing director Christine Lagarde.
Greek government sources told ANT1 TV that Greeks were “not aware of the intention of the IMF.”
A spokesman of the German government said today that Merkel will host separate meetings with Lagarde and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Berlin on upcoming Wednesday.
The meetings will take place after the Eurogroup on Monday. The German Finance Minister said “no decision” will be taken with regards to Greece’s second review at the Eurogorup meeting on Feb 20. It was too late for such a decision.
