Athens — Greece’s long-term debt prospects are uncertain, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday, questioning the country’s ability to maintain high budget surpluses to 2060 under a recent eurozone deal. "The debt relief recently agreed with Greece’s European partners has significantly improved debt sustainability over the medium term, but longer term prospects remain uncertain," the IMF said in a preliminary report. Last week, eurozone ministers agreed to extend maturities by 10 years on major parts of Greece’s total debt obligations, a mountain that has reached close to double the country’s annual economic output. In turn, Greece committed to a budget surplus not counting debt repayment of 3.5% to 2022, and 2.2% to 2060. "A surplus of 2.2% is very challenging to achieve," IMF mission chief Peter Dohlman told reporters in Athens. The IMF notes that since 1945, only five eurozone countries have ever been able to maintain an average primary balance higher than 1.5% of o...
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