Greece Will Not Make Payment to IMF unless Deal Struck — Tsipras

Athens (PNA/Kyodo) — Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Monday that Greece will not make a payment to the International Monetary Fund by a Tuesday deadline unless it strikes a deal with its creditors, raising the prospect of it defaulting.

The premier said in a televised address late Monday that if the Greek people choose to move ahead with austerity in a referendum on Sunday on the bailout terms proposed by its international creditors, he will respect the outcome, suggesting he will step down as his anti-austerity government rejected the proposals earlier.

Without a bailout extension, Greece is likely to fail to repay 1.6 billion euros owed to the IMF, causing the country to default and possibly leading the 19-nation eurozone to consider expelling Greece. (PNA/Kyodo) JBP/PJN