<p>Greece will continue talks with international lenders next week on new austerity measures for the debt-ridden country to clinch its next loan tranche, the finance minister said on Saturday, with both sides saying progress had been made.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Negotiators had been pushing for a deal before a meeting of Euro Zone finance ministers on Monday, but Greece said it would settle for a statement acknowledging that talks were advancing.<br /><br />"We will continue next week as well," Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told reporters following talks in Athens with Greece's troika of creditors -- the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.<br /><br />"We hope there will be a positive presentation from the troika, the IMF, EU and ECB, at the eurogroup," he said. "We're trying to reach a compromise that will be in the interests of the economy and the poor."<br /><br />Five consecutive years of recession have driven unemployment to record levels, gutted household incomes and led to repeated bouts of protest and unrest on the streets of the Greek capital.<br /><br />New protests are expected on Tuesday when German Chancellor Angela Merkel will make her first visit to Greece since the euro zone debt crisis erupted in late 2009.<br /><br />The trip represents a show of support for the government of conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and an apparent signal of the determination of Europe's most powerful leader to keep Greece within the euro.<br /><br />Earlier on Saturday, a senior Greek government official said the sides will need another two weeks to agree on a pact on almost 12 billion euros of new savings to secure the next tranche of some 31.5 billion euros in urgently needed loans for the country.<br /><br />Without it, Greece says it will run out of money at the end of November.<br /></p>
<p>Greece will continue talks with international lenders next week on new austerity measures for the debt-ridden country to clinch its next loan tranche, the finance minister said on Saturday, with both sides saying progress had been made.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Negotiators had been pushing for a deal before a meeting of Euro Zone finance ministers on Monday, but Greece said it would settle for a statement acknowledging that talks were advancing.<br /><br />"We will continue next week as well," Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told reporters following talks in Athens with Greece's troika of creditors -- the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.<br /><br />"We hope there will be a positive presentation from the troika, the IMF, EU and ECB, at the eurogroup," he said. "We're trying to reach a compromise that will be in the interests of the economy and the poor."<br /><br />Five consecutive years of recession have driven unemployment to record levels, gutted household incomes and led to repeated bouts of protest and unrest on the streets of the Greek capital.<br /><br />New protests are expected on Tuesday when German Chancellor Angela Merkel will make her first visit to Greece since the euro zone debt crisis erupted in late 2009.<br /><br />The trip represents a show of support for the government of conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and an apparent signal of the determination of Europe's most powerful leader to keep Greece within the euro.<br /><br />Earlier on Saturday, a senior Greek government official said the sides will need another two weeks to agree on a pact on almost 12 billion euros of new savings to secure the next tranche of some 31.5 billion euros in urgently needed loans for the country.<br /><br />Without it, Greece says it will run out of money at the end of November.<br /></p>