Medical staff in a protest rally against austerity in Athens yesterday. In exchange for harsh austerity measures that have thrown the Greek economy into its deepest peace-time recession and strained the cohesion of its fragile coalition, Athens plans to ask creditors for a large debt cut. Athens aims to achieve a primary budget surplus (before debt payments) in 2013, fulfilling one year earlier than planned a key condition to obtain further debt relief from its creditors, Greek finance minister said in a news conference.