The German government agreed on Monday to provide Greece with 22.4 billion euros ($29.6 billion) as part of a multibillion-euro aid package to be allocated to the financially-stricken Balkan state by the European Union, the German N-24 TV channel said.
A relevant bill has yet to be approved by the German parliament and signed by President Horst Kohler.
Ministers from the 16-nation euro zone approved the 80-billion-euro aid for Greece during a meeting in Brussels on Sunday. The IMF will also provide 30 billion euros in loans under the three-year deal.
Earlier on Monday, a Council of the European Union source told RIA Novosti that Greece will receive the first loans from EU countries under a massive bailout package on May 19.
Greece, whose national debt reaches 300 billon euros ($400 billion), agreed to carry out huge budget cuts as part of an austerity program.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said in a televised speech on Sunday that the country's government had "no other choices and no time."
Papandreou and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed a range of issues concerning Greek-Russian cooperation in trade and economic spheres during a telephone conversation on Monday, which was initiated by the Greek side, the Russian government's press service said.
According to the press service, the Greek prime minister reiterated his invitation to Putin to pay a working visit to Greece. The date of the visit is yet to be agreed.
BERLIN, May 3 (RIA Novosti)
