16/03/2010
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- EU finance ministers meet in Brussels on Tuesday (March 16th) to discuss the situation in Greece, whose officials are to present a detailed plan of measures to fight the financial crisis. Late Monday, the Eurogroup finance ministers discussed the situation as well. Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said afterward only that an agreement had been reached on a possible Greek aid package, but refused to provide details. Juncker also would not comment on reports that the EU would provide Greece up to 25 billion euros in aid. Austrian Finance Minister Joseph Proll said that technical conditions are in place, so Greece could obtain aid at any given moment, though Athens has not yet requested any.
Meanwhile, ADEDY, the trade union representing civil servants in Greece, announced on Monday plans for another 24-hour strike -- either this month or next -- to protest the government's austerity plans. A rally is planned for Tuesday in Athens. (Ta Nea - 16/03/10; BBC, Xinhua, Reuters, DPA, ITAR-TASS - 15/03/10)