REPEAT: MNI: IMF Words Welcome, Can Work Without-Greece Min

Repeats Story Initially Transmitted at 14:27 GMT Oct 14/10:27 EST Oct 14

By Tara Oakes

     WASHINGTON(MNI) - Greece "obviously" welcomes the International Monetary

Fund saying they see no need for additional fiscal measures for the Athens

government, Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos told Market News Saturday. 

     But, he added, their participation in the bailout process was not a

necessity.

     Concerns have been raised about the difference between the IMF's forecast

for Greece's primary surplus of 2.2% of GDP in 2018 -- less than EU

institutions' prediction of 3.5%. New fiscal measures might be needed if the EU

partners accept the IMF figure.

     The IMF's participation in the deal was insisted upon by Germany, among

others, but Tsakalotos told MNI they could go on without them.

     "We can work with the IMF and we can work without the IMF. It creates

uncertainty to markets and to the Greek population if they have one foot in and

one foot out," he said on the sidelines of the IMF Annual Meeting in Washington.

     Poul Thomsen, the director of the European Department of the IMF, said at a

briefing Friday that "where we stand now", no additional fiscal measures were

needed.

--MNI Brussels Bureau; +44 203-865-3851; email: tara.oakes@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com