Greek banks 'stable', government insists

The Greek banking system is stable, the government said Friday ahead of an emergency European Central Bank session prompted by a rush of deposit withdrawals.

"The governor of the Bank of Greece has confirmed the stability of the banking system, which is fully safeguarded by the joint actions of the Bank of Greece and the European Central Bank," a government source said.

Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras had earlier met with the top Greek negotiator in European Union-International Monetary Fund talks, junior foreign minister Euclid Tsakalotos, to discuss the negotiations "and the state of the banking system," the source said.
The ECB was to hold an emergency session on Friday to discuss additional liquidity following a request from the Bank of Greece, sources familiar with the matter told AFP.

A billion euros were withdrawn from Greek banks on Thursday, financial website euro2day reported.

Greece on Friday insisted a last-ditch deal on its debt was possible and dismissed "terror scenarios" of a default that is looking increasingly likely unless an accord is concluded.

EU President Donald Tusk has called an emergency summit of leaders of the 19 eurozone countries in Brussels next Monday, after finance ministers on Thursday failed to break the five-month deadlock between the anti-austerity government in Athens and its EU-IMF creditors.