Bankers meet euro zone body

International bankers met the head of the main euro zone body working on ways to handle the Greek debt crisis in Rome today, a participant at the meeting said.

An Italian Treasury source said the managing director of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), Charles Dallara, met Vittorio Grilli, director general at Italy's Treasury and chairman of the euro zone's Economic and Financial Committee (EFC) to discuss Greece's struggling to avoid default.

The source said Mr Grilli was acting in his EFC rather than Treasury capacity.

A participant at the talks said international bankers first met at the offices of Intesa Sanpaolo and then moved to the Treasury for talks with Mr Grilli and Mr Dallara.

"Mr Dallara is participating alongside others from the public and the private sectors in meetings in Rome," an IIF spokesman said. He said Mr Dallara had been meeting with a range of public officials and private creditor institutions in recent days to provide informal support to help a Greek bailout.

Last week, Mr Dallara was in Athens to discuss the debt crisis.

Euro zone officials are working on ways to include banks in a second bailout for Greece without ratings agencies declaring a default.

A French banking source said on Sunday the French Treasury had reached a deal with banks to make a rollover more palatable to creditors.

A German banking source said a call was planned today between banks and the German finance ministry to discuss their contribution to a Greek bailout.

The meeting would discuss whether the French scheme could be used as a blueprint for German banks, the source said.

Reuters