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| Eurozone states want Greece out, says Venizelos | Eurozone states want Greece out, says Venizelos |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Some eurozone countries no longer want Greece in the bloc, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said. | Some eurozone countries no longer want Greece in the bloc, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said. |
| He accused the states of "playing with fire", as Greece scrambled to finalise an austerity plan demanded by the EU and IMF in return for a huge bailout. | He accused the states of "playing with fire", as Greece scrambled to finalise an austerity plan demanded by the EU and IMF in return for a huge bailout. |
| Athens vowed to clarify the plan before a conference call with eurozone bosses, which was due to start at 16:00 GMT. | Athens vowed to clarify the plan before a conference call with eurozone bosses, which was due to start at 16:00 GMT. |
| Greece needs to convince lenders that it will make enough savings, and that its politicians will enact the changes. | Greece needs to convince lenders that it will make enough savings, and that its politicians will enact the changes. |
| Athens is hoping to get a 130bn-euro (£110bn; $170bn) bailout from the EU and IMF. | Athens is hoping to get a 130bn-euro (£110bn; $170bn) bailout from the EU and IMF. |
| The deal also includes a provision to write off a further 100bn euros of debt owed to banks. | The deal also includes a provision to write off a further 100bn euros of debt owed to banks. |
| Parliament approved a package of austerity measures on Sunday, but eurozone ministers indicated that more detail needed to be given on the cuts. | Parliament approved a package of austerity measures on Sunday, but eurozone ministers indicated that more detail needed to be given on the cuts. |
| The ministers also insisted that the major Greek political parties committed to implementing the cuts, regardless of who wins a general election scheduled for April. | The ministers also insisted that the major Greek political parties committed to implementing the cuts, regardless of who wins a general election scheduled for April. |
| Leaders of the two main parties have now signed letters committing them to enacting the changes. | Leaders of the two main parties have now signed letters committing them to enacting the changes. |
| The leader of the conservative New Democracy party, Antonis Samaras, wrote that if his party won in April it would "remain committed to the programme's objectives, targets and key policies". | The leader of the conservative New Democracy party, Antonis Samaras, wrote that if his party won in April it would "remain committed to the programme's objectives, targets and key policies". |
| A Greek official told the BBC that 325m euros of extra savings had been made with cuts from defence, health and local government budgets. | |
| Mr Venizelos said there were "very few remaining issues" with the austerity package and promised to have them "fully clarified" before the conference call. | Mr Venizelos said there were "very few remaining issues" with the austerity package and promised to have them "fully clarified" before the conference call. |
| But he also warned that some eurozone countries were "playing with fire", saying: "There are many in the eurozone who don't want us any more." | But he also warned that some eurozone countries were "playing with fire", saying: "There are many in the eurozone who don't want us any more." |
| Mr Venizelos also said that President Karolos Papoulias had volunteered to give up his salary as an "honourable... symbolic gesture". He is reported to earn 280,000 euros a year. | Mr Venizelos also said that President Karolos Papoulias had volunteered to give up his salary as an "honourable... symbolic gesture". He is reported to earn 280,000 euros a year. |
| 'False rumours' | 'False rumours' |
| One eurozone finance official told AFP news agency that Wednesday's conference call would draw up "an inventory of what Greece has delivered, and checking if it is enough". | |
| Without the bailout, Greece will be unable to pay its debts and will be forced into a default. | Without the bailout, Greece will be unable to pay its debts and will be forced into a default. |
| Its next payment is due on 20 March, and the complex technicalities of finalising the bailout will take several weeks even after the politicians have agreed the measures. | Its next payment is due on 20 March, and the complex technicalities of finalising the bailout will take several weeks even after the politicians have agreed the measures. |
| But the austerity plan has been hugely unpopular in Greece. | But the austerity plan has been hugely unpopular in Greece. |
| Anger boiled over during Sunday's vote in parliament, when large groups of protesters clashed with riot police and dozens of buildings were set on fire in Athens. | Anger boiled over during Sunday's vote in parliament, when large groups of protesters clashed with riot police and dozens of buildings were set on fire in Athens. |
| And eurozone countries appear to be running out of patience with Greece. | And eurozone countries appear to be running out of patience with Greece. |
| On Wednesday German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told local radio he wanted to help Greece, but "we are not going to pour money into a bottomless pit", in comments translated by AFP. | |
| Unnamed eurozone officials were quoted as suggesting that Greece's latest assurances still may not be enough, because people no longer trusted the country's politicians. | |
| Greece has failed to deliver on many of the promises it made to secure an earlier bailout deal, EU officials say. | Greece has failed to deliver on many of the promises it made to secure an earlier bailout deal, EU officials say. |
| In a press briefing on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, denied Germany wanted Greece out of the eurozone. | In a press briefing on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, denied Germany wanted Greece out of the eurozone. |
| "I can clearly state for the federal government that these rumours are false," he said. | "I can clearly state for the federal government that these rumours are false," he said. |
| Amadeu Altafaj, a spokesman for EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn, said eurozone members had "stated very clearly that they want Greece to remain a member of the eurozone". | Amadeu Altafaj, a spokesman for EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn, said eurozone members had "stated very clearly that they want Greece to remain a member of the eurozone". |
| However, the BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels says there is a growing sense among eurozone members that if Greece did leave it would not mean the collapse of the euro. | However, the BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels says there is a growing sense among eurozone members that if Greece did leave it would not mean the collapse of the euro. |
| And in an interview in Manager Magazin to be published on Friday, the head of Germany's engineering and electronics giant Bosch calls for Greece to be ejected from the EU. | And in an interview in Manager Magazin to be published on Friday, the head of Germany's engineering and electronics giant Bosch calls for Greece to be ejected from the EU. |
| In a transcript acquired by Reuters, CEO Franz Fehrenbach says: "This state with its phantom pensioners and rich people that don't pay taxes, a state without a functioning administration, has no place in the European Union." | In a transcript acquired by Reuters, CEO Franz Fehrenbach says: "This state with its phantom pensioners and rich people that don't pay taxes, a state without a functioning administration, has no place in the European Union." |