Nicosia --President  Anastasiades has briefed the leaders of political parties on the consultations with the Troika delegation (EC, ECB, IMF) for Cyprus’ bailout agreement.

Anastasiades presided over a meeting of the political leaders at the Presidential Palace Saturday night.

Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides has told the press that party leaders were fully briefed by the President, the Finance Minister and the Central Bank Governor on the ongoing consultations with Cyprus’ international lenders.

He refrained from further comments, pointing out that his statement is “plain and sparing” as the situation requires.

Deputy Central Bank Governor Spyros Stavrinakis, Government Spokesman and Under Secretary to the President Constantinos Petrides also attended the meeting, which lasted just over an hour.

Earlier on Saturday President Anastasiades chaired a meeting with the participation of Governor and Deputy Governor of Central Bank, Finance Minister, the technocrats who are involved in the consultations with the international lenders, former President George Vasiliou, Head of the Council of Economic Policy Christoforos Pissarides and members of the Council which served as Ministers.

The President had a telephone conversation on Saturday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel with whom he discussed issues related to efforts on concluding Cyprus’ loan agreement the soonest.

Excluded from international capital markets, Cyprus has requested financial assistance from the EU bailout mechanism after its two largest banks sought state aid following massive losses of their Greek bond holdings, estimated at €4.5 billion, as a result of the Greek sovereign debt haircut.

The Troika which continues its meetings in Cyprus this week and the Cypriot authorities have agreed on a preliminary memorandum of understating, which includes the conditions for the granting of the financial assistance programme estimated at €17 billion.
(CNA)