Talks between Greece and its international creditors over a new bailout package should go ahead tomorrow after logistical issues that delayed meetings this week are resolved, a Greek official said yesterday.

The meetings with officials from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund had been expected to start on Friday but were delayed by organisational issues including the location of talks and security.

The finance ministry official said talks were now expected to get underway formally tomorrow after the logistical issues were resolved.

If the agreement says that they should visit a ministry, we have to accept that

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied that the government was trying to keep the lenders’ team away from government departments.

Greeks have viewed inspections visits by the lenders in Athens as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and six-months of acrimonious negotiations with EU partners took place in Brussels at the government’s request.

Asked if the government would now allow EU, IMF and ECB mission chiefs to visit Athens for talks on a new loan, State Minister Alekos Flabouraris said: “If the agreement says that they should visit a ministry, we have to accept that.”

The confusion around the expected start to the talks on Friday underlined the challenges ahead if negotiations are to be wrapped up in time for a bailout worth up to €86 billion to be approved in Parliament by August 20, as Greece intends.