Reuters: Market News: Dutch minister says to follow IMF on aid to Greece

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Dutch minister says to follow IMF on aid to Greece Mar 31st 2012, 19:03 ATHENS, March 31 | Sat Mar 31, 2012 3:03pm EDT ATHENS, March 31 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will not give its share of bailout funds to Greece if the International Monetary Fund deems Athens has failed to keep its pledges and withholds its next tranche of aid, the Dutch finance minister said in a newspaper interview. The minister, who took a hard line during negotiations on Greece's second, 130 billion euro ($173 billion) bailout earlier this year, has in the past warned the programme remains fraught with risk and that its success depends on Athens' ability to push through reform. "I will follow the IMF - if it were to say that there is no compliance with the programme and that it can't disburse the next tranche, then we will also withhold our share," Jan Kees de Jager told the Sunday edition of Greece's Kathimerini newspaper, when asked what his country would do if an IMF report on Greece - due in June - was negative. The Netherlands, one of the few remaining AAA-rated euro zone nations, is providing funds to the Greek bailout as part of a contribution from euro zone states. De Jager added that he had no doubt Greece would remain within the euro zone. "I'm sure that Greece will do everything needed to stay in the euro," he said. "I'm convinced that Greece can stay in the euro zone if Greek politicians show unity, as is the case with the present government, and implement structural reforms and fiscal cuts." Greeks are due to vote for a new government in elections likely to be held on May 6, replacing a left-right coalition government headed by technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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