The IMF on Sunday afternoon issued a denial of a previous-day Reuters story claiming it was abandoning the Greek program, with the DC-based Fund saying it was still “fully engaged” to participate in the bailout, although adding that its exact role has not been decided.
An earlier dispatch by Reuters cited two sources as saying that the fund was not considering participation in the bailout.
"We remain fully engaged, with the aim of reaching agreement on a program that the fund can support with a new arrangement, as requested by the authorities," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said in an emailed statement on Sunday. "In this regard a mission team will visit Athens soon."
Meanwhile, in comments aired by the Greek television stations Ant1 on Sunday evening, Eurogroup chair Jeroen Dijsselbloem said it is important both for Greece and the Eurozone to retain the IMF’s participation in the Greek bailout program.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IMF conference in Washington, the Dutch Foreign Minister also reminded of the decisions taken at the May Eurogroup meeting for future Greek debt relief.
