Premier to attend debt crisis talks

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras headed to Brussels for a crucial emergency Eurozone summit aimed at reaching a deal between Athens and its international creditors that would allow the debt- ravaged country to avoid a default and a potentially disastrous exit from the euro currency.

Tsipras’ departure for Monday’s summit of the 19 Eurozone leaders capped a day of intense contacts between many of the major players, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and European Commission President Jean- Claude Juncker, all bent on keeping Greece within the currency club and avoiding financial chaos.

Greece is facing a June 30 deadline to make a $ 1.8- billion loan repayment to the International Monetary Fund, which, at present, it would be unable to make.