Greece Doesn’t Need Next Aid Tranche to Meet Its Obligations, Tsipras Says

Greek prime minister says the country will fulfill its financial responsibilities

By WILLIAM HOROBIN

March 12, 2015 1:39 p.m. ET

PARIS—Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Thursday that the country will be able to fulfill its financial responsibilities, even if creditors don't a pay a tranche of aid.

European and International Monetary Fund officials are currently in Athens assessing whether Greece is meeting the conditions for the tranche of aid from the current bailout program of €240 billion ($254.7 billion).

“Even if, over the next period, there won’t be a disbursement of an installment, Greece will certainly be able meet its obligations,” Mr. Tsipras said at a news conference at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris.

The Greek prime minister’s comments underscored how tough the talks are between Greece and its creditors. Mr. Tsipras warned that no payment would mean that the creditors were trying to undermine their agreement with the Greek government.

The Greek leader was speaking alongside the head of the OECD, Ángel Gurria, after the country signed a new joint-collaboration agreement for economic overhauls in Greece. The agreement would aim to boost job creation, cut red tape for companies, improve transparency, strengthen the tax system and disrupt oligopolies and cartels.

“Our aim is to help kick-start growth,” Mr. Gurria said.

The new leftist Greek government had dismissed the OECD’s previous economic recommendations last month, but Athens is eager to enlist the organization’s help in crafting a growth-friendly economic plan for the country, and cast aside the program set out by creditors.

“Believe me I feel more comfortable here than in other institutions. Especially the former troika,” Mr. Tsipras said, referring to the trio of the European Central Bank, the IMF and the European Commission.

“In the past four years the IMF came to our country to impose a policy of financial adjustment and severe austerity. Now I think another institution will step in—the OECD,” he said.

Still, Mr. Gurria cautioned the OECD isn't replacing any of the other institutions Greece is working with.

—Nektaria Stamouli in Athens contributed to this article.

Write to William Horobin at William.Horobin@wsj.com