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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's leftist government hopes a
deal with foreign lenders is imminent, with Finance Minister
Yanis Varoufakis saying on Monday that an agreement could be
reached within a week.
But Schaeuble poured cold water on this idea, saying reports
from the international institutions involved in negotiations
with Athens suggested talks were progressing "very hesitantly".
"What I know from discussions with the three institutions does
not back up the optimism arising from announcements from
Athens," Schaeuble said in an interview published on Thursday.
"There is not yet any substance to the mere announcement that we
are closer to an agreement. This is still within the realms of
atmosphere," he added.
Greece's European Union and IMF lenders say talks are moving too
slowly for a deal in the coming days.
Asked whether he thought Greece was coming ever closer to
insolvency, Schaeuble said the situation was in Athens' hands,
adding: "I can't rule anything out in any case."
In the latest warning that Greece is teetering on the brink of
default, a senior Greek ruling party lawmaker said on Wednesday
that Athens could not make an upcoming payment to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) on June 5 unless foreign
lenders disbursed more aid.
Schaeuble said: "I can understand the public speculation about
political solutions; but they are not justified by anything in
their substance."
Schaeuble said this would contradict an agreement between the
Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers and Greece on Feb. 20,
when Athens was granted a four-month extension of its rescue
package in return for promising economic reforms.
Schaeuble said Greece was likely to be discussed at the G7
meeting of finance ministers and central bank chiefs in Dresden
next week although it was not officially on the agenda.
(Editing by Paul Carrel)
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