IMF may fund Greek bailout with small amount, for one year - government spokesperson

ATHENS (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund may finance Greece's current bailout programme with a small amount for one year, the country's government spokesman said on Thursday, adding the issue was under discussion between Athens and its creditors.

Greece's bailout ends in 2018. The second review of its progress on reforms has dragged on for months, mainly due to a rift between the EU and the IMF over its fiscal targets.

"What is under discussion is a small IMF funding programme, which will last for one year and end at the same time with the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) programme, in August 2018," Dimitris Tzanakopoulos told reporters.

EU and IMF mission chiefs will return to Athens on April 25 to finalise a set of reforms Greece agreed to adopt to convince the IMF to participate with funds in its current bailout.

But it is unlikely that the bailout review will be wrapped up before May 22, when euro zone finance ministers will meet in Brussels to discuss the Greek issue, the spokesman said.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Angeliki Koutantou)