(MENAFN- AFP) Negotiations between Athens and its international creditors, to unblock a one-billion-euro ($1.3 billion) instalment of financial aid, could last until Christmas, a finance ministry source told AFP on Wednesday.
"We estimate that negotiations will drag on, because there are still many issues to settle," the source, that chose to remain anonymous, told AFP.
"We don't know exactly when they will end, they could go on until Christmas," the source added, but refused to explain where the two sides disagree.
According to local press, the so-called troika of EU, IMF and European Central Bank creditors and Athens disagree on the predicted financing gap for 2014 and the measures that need to be taken to cover it.
But a delay in the release of the next tranche of aid from Greece's EU-IMF rescue loans "will not affect the country's economy," the source insisted.
The troika launched its regular audit at the end of September and talks then resumed in early November.
Following a Tuesday meeting between Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras and the troika, an offical said that "the ice has been broken" and the two sides are "starting to converge," the state-run Athens News Agency reported.
Stournaras himself downplayed Greek media reports of an EU official saying negotiations could drag to February.
"Whoever made that statement, which does not reflect the productive discussions with the troika, should be brave enough state their name. It is metres separating us (from the troika), not kilometres," the minister told local media.
On Thursday, Stournaras and the troika will travel to Brussels to attend a meeting of eurozone finance ministers.
They are expected to resume talks in Athens towards the end of the week.
The troika predicts the 2014 financing gap will exceed 1,5 billion euros, while the Greek government estimates the sum to be slightly more than 500 million euros.
Discussions are also stumbling on the issue of a new property tax, possible new pension cuts as well as layoffs in the state sector, according to local press.
Top-selling daily Ta Nea reported Wednesday that the delay in the negotiations is caused by "a lack of political guidance within the troika because Germany does not have a government yet."
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