(MENAFN- AFP) Greece said Thursday the EU had two choices, to accept or reject its request for a six-month extension to its EU loan programme, as a row over the bailout crisis escalated.
"Tomorrow's Eurogroup has just two choices. To accept or reject the Greek request. We will now discover who wants to find a solution, and who does not," a government source said after Germany snubbed the Athens proposal.
The message was addressed to German finance ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger, who had said the Greek offer -- presented to Brussels on Thursday -- "does not meet the criteria" laid out by eurozone ministers.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's reaction was more positive, suggesting the eurozone was divided over what exactly needed to be promised by Athens to reach a much-needed compromise.
Juncker "sees in this letter (from the Greek government) a positive sign which could pave the way for a reasonable compromise in the interest of financial stability in the euro area as a whole," his spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a news briefing.
Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said eurozone finance ministers would meet in Brussels Friday to consider the request by Athens to extend ithe European part of its programme, which expires at the end of the month.
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