BRATISLAVA, March 4 (Reuters) - Ireland's push to soften loan terms and cut the costs it must pay for its EU rescue package is legitimate, Slovak Finance Minister Ivan Miklos said on Friday.
'This request is a legitimate one,' he said. 'However, the opening of already signed agreements is always complicated.'
Miklos, a fiscal hawk emphasizing, said it was also legitimate to debate the size of the burden on Irish taxpayers and on the shareholders of Irish banks involved.
Ireland's prime minister in waiting Enda Kenny is expected to raise Dublin's concerns about the average 5.8 percent rate on more than 40 billion euros of loans from the European Union -- agreed as part of Ireland's international rescue package -- at a meeting of EU leaders who belong to the European People's Party in Finland on Friday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week cast doubt on the incoming Irish government's hopes of significantly renegotiating the terms of the European tranche of the 85 billion euro rescue Dublin secured from the EU and International Monetary Fund agreed last December.
A senior lawmaker in Merkel's party suggested on Friday that Germany may be willing to support a cut in the cost of Ireland's rescue package if Dublin raises its low corporate tax rate, but Dublin has to date ruled out any increase in the tax rate.
The IMF said in Washington overnight that the interest rate on the IMF portion of the Irish rescue loan would be reduced under changes in member countries' subscriptions and voting shares that came into effect on Thursday.
(Reporting by Martin Santa, writing by Jason Hovet; Editing by Susan Fenton) Keywords: IRELAND SLOVAKIA/ (prague.newsroom@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jason.hovet.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; +420-224 190 476) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'This request is a legitimate one,' he said. 'However, the opening of already signed agreements is always complicated.'
Miklos, a fiscal hawk emphasizing, said it was also legitimate to debate the size of the burden on Irish taxpayers and on the shareholders of Irish banks involved.
Ireland's prime minister in waiting Enda Kenny is expected to raise Dublin's concerns about the average 5.8 percent rate on more than 40 billion euros of loans from the European Union -- agreed as part of Ireland's international rescue package -- at a meeting of EU leaders who belong to the European People's Party in Finland on Friday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week cast doubt on the incoming Irish government's hopes of significantly renegotiating the terms of the European tranche of the 85 billion euro rescue Dublin secured from the EU and International Monetary Fund agreed last December.
A senior lawmaker in Merkel's party suggested on Friday that Germany may be willing to support a cut in the cost of Ireland's rescue package if Dublin raises its low corporate tax rate, but Dublin has to date ruled out any increase in the tax rate.
The IMF said in Washington overnight that the interest rate on the IMF portion of the Irish rescue loan would be reduced under changes in member countries' subscriptions and voting shares that came into effect on Thursday.
(Reporting by Martin Santa, writing by Jason Hovet; Editing by Susan Fenton) Keywords: IRELAND SLOVAKIA/ (prague.newsroom@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jason.hovet.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; +420-224 190 476) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.