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Europe Looking to Send More Bailout Money to Greece


European finance chiefs are moving toward releasing more bailout money for debt-ridden Greece, even as auditors say the country faces an "uncertain" economic outlook.

International debt inspectors reached agreement with Athens Monday on the dismissal of thousands of government workers by the end of 2013 in order to get the next segment of its rescue package. Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels are considering the agreement and deciding how much money to send to Athens in the coming weeks.

The payout could be more than $10 billion. But the total may be split into segments, as some eurozone officials remain wary of the Greek commitment to carrying out painful reforms to boost its weak economy and cut high unemployment.

Greece is in the sixth year of a recession. The debt auditors from the country's international lenders -- Greece's European neighbors, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- said Athens is making progress in its reforms. But they said "the outlook remains uncertain."

Several thousand government workers -- many of whom face layoffs in the coming months -- protested in the streets of Athens against the job cutbacks.



One policeman, Iosif Tournas, blamed government officials for the country's turmoil.



"The mistakes of those in power are being paid for by the people underneath them. Greece is not a business, it's our homeland."
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