Greek talks delayed again

The planned meeting between Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and coalition party leaders in Athens was delayed again and was now set to take place on Wednesday, according to government officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

The talks, in which the "technocrat" Papademos was to seek support from party leaders on stringent austerity measures, had already been postponed several times. Senior members of Greece's socialist, conservative and far-right parties would all take part.

The government official said Papademos would instead hold talks with representatives from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday evening.

Greece must implement the cost-cutting measures put forward by international partners and private creditors in order to receive a second package of emergency loans, worth 130 billion euros ($170 billion) in total. Without the fresh influx of credit, Greece would be unable to meet a March 20 deadline for the repayment of some 14.5 billion euros in existing bonds.

More strikes

Workers across much of the country launched another general strike Tuesday, to protest against the belt-tightening measures being introduced by the government in Athens. Train and ferry services were halted, many schools and banks closed and state hospitals were working with limited personnel.

Some small scuffles were reported in the capital's central Syntagma Square, with protesters saying that the EU and International Monetary Fund - led by the EU's largest economy, Germany - had tied overly harsh conditions to the Greek rescue deal.

Layoffs and cuts in pay and pensions in the public sector are among the most hotly contested measures among Greek workers, although it's thought that the desire to avoid default will ultimately convince Greek political leaders to accept the terms.

msh/ccp (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)