Eurozone finance ministers are considering ways of granting Athens a 12-billion-euro (13.2-billion-dollar) bridging loan to meet its immediate financing needs and allow banks to reopen, if conditions are met to negotiate a new Greek bailout, an EU diplomat says. According to dpa, possibilities include providing Athens with bilateral credits, offering support for Greek banks, and finding part of the funding within Greece, the diplomat said on condition of anonymity, without going into further detail. The financing needs break down into an estimated 7 billion euros required by July 20 - when Greece faces a 3.5-billion-euro repayment to the European Central Bank - and a further 5 billion euros needed by mid-August, eurozone leaders had said in a joint statement.
