As talks continue between party chairmen with regards to Icesave, leading ministers have expressed optimism that new talks with British and Dutch authorities could begin.
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon and Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson met with chairmen of the opposition parties last night, and are expected to meet again today, to try and arrive at a consensus on what would comprise a new Icesave deal. British and Dutch authorities have said they are not interested in new talks until the Icelandic government can establish a broader base of support.
Sigfússon told RÚV that while he doesn’t know yet when new talks with the UK and Holland will begin, he wants to be open for any possibility. The prime minister said that she is optimistic that the British and Dutch can be brought back to the negotiations table, saying that both Sigfússon and Skarphéðinsson are in constant contact with UK and Holland authorities, and that a new plan on how the Icesave issue can be resolved has been presented to the opposition. She added that matters should become clearer over the weekend.