by Lefteris Papadimas
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece will repay 5.3 billion euros in loans owed to euro zone countries early next month as part of its first bailout, and hopes to do so again in 2024, officials said Greek Finance Ministry officials told Reuters on Tuesday.
“On December 15, we will repay 5.3 billion euros to eurozone countries ahead of schedule,” an official said, adding that the payment was for loans maturing in 2024 and 2025.
Last year, the country repaid the IMF, which had provided it with 28 billion euros between 2010 and 2014, two years early. Greece also prepaid 2.7 billion euros to its eurozone partners as part of efforts to improve debt sustainability, and hopes to continue on the same path in 2024.
“We may repay other bilateral loans earlier next year,” a second official told Reuters, without giving further details on the amount or timetable.
Eurozone countries lent Greece 53 billion euros in the form of bilateral loans known as the “Greek Loan Facility” (GLF) during its first bailout, with maturities extending until 2041. With With the payment expected this year, Greece will have repaid a total of around 13 billion euros.
(Reporting Lefteris Papadimas, Corentin Chappron, edited by Tangi Salaün)
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