Azernews.Az

By Bloomberg

Russia said Greece and its creditors should reach a compromise “as soon as possible,” and it’s watching developments closely following the referendum that rejected further austerity measures.

“We treat with respect the voice raised during the plebiscite,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Monday. Russia would like Greece to take decisions that contribute to “social and economical stability in the country,” he said.

Greece has never asked Russia for financial aid in dealing with the debt crisis, Peskov said. Greek issues might be discussed on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in Ufa this week of leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, though they are not on the official agenda, he said.

Some 61 percent of Greek voters rejected creditors’ proposals for further austerity in Sunday’s referendum after the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who visited St. Petersburg last month for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urged them to vote “no.” Time is running out for Greece to secure a new deal to save its economy from outright collapse. Euro-zone leaders are due to meet on Tuesday for an emergency summit on Greece a day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande hold talks in Paris on a common position.