Icelandic Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon said he hopes that Icesave talks with the British and Dutch governments can resume next week, emphasizing that a final decision on renegotiations has yet to be made, contrary to yesterday’s reports.
Steingrímur J. Sigfússon. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
Sigfússon said in an interview on RÚV’s radio station, Rás 2, this morning that the situation is very sensitive and would not go into details on what Icelanders are hoping to achieve through renegotiations. The goal is naturally a better agreement, the minister said, according to visir.is.
He criticized RÚV’s reporting on Icesave yesterday where it was stated that the Icelandic negotiation committee is planning to propose that Iceland’s Icesave debt will be covered with payments from Landsbanki’s bankrupt estate so that there will be no interest rates.
“It is untimely and damaging reporting and doesn’t help at all,” Sigfússon said. “I asked RÚV yesterday before the news at noon not to run this story but they did it anyway.”
Sigfússon claimed the story was wrong and harmful because the Icesave talks with the UK and the Netherlands have yet to be reopened. “It can’t be more important for RÚV to scoop one wrong news story than for Iceland to find a successful solution to this case.”
Click here to read yesterday’s report about Icesave.
