ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's international lenders will end quarterly inspection visits to Athens after praising progress by the country in meeting the terms of its bailout, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Monday.
The troika of European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund lenders will now return in October, Samaras said. The lenders were previously scheduled to return in June after completing their last visit in April.
"The troika has already issued a very favourable report and this suspense of the troika returning every three months will now end," Samaras said in a speech to industrialists.
Greece is set to meet its budget targets this year and NEXT (NXT.LO)but must step up privatisations and public sector reform, the EU and IMF said in a draft report obtained by Reuters on Monday.
(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas, Writing by Deepa Babington)
