Greek Finance Ministry's General Secretary Nikos Theocharakis said the disruption in talks did not come as a surprise since technical experts from the "troika" of international creditors – IMF, European Central Bank and the European Commission – were "completely incompetent," Der Spiegel added.
In a Saturday comment to Greek media, IMF said that the pullout was part of the "normal rotation" and will not affect the negotiations with the Greek government.
"The technical teams of the three institutions have been in Athens for over three weeks working with the Greek authorities, and some members of the teams are returning to their respective headquarters as part of the normal rotation during such missions. The technical talks are continuing from the capitals and directly on the ground, including via local staff," IMF said.
In his turn, Nikos Theocharakis denied making an unflattering remark about the competence of the Eurogroup's technical teams. On the contrary, he referred to them as "top-notch people with impressive skills," the Greek Finance Ministry said in a statement.
Greece has been under increased pressure from both its creditors and media as it strives to secure a financial lifeline from the troika of international creditors. It is expected to repay a 450-million euro ($494 million) loan tranche to the IMF on April 9.
