Size of IMF loan to Greece 'under negotiation': Government source

ATHENS: Greece is "negotiating" the precise amount the International Monetary Fund could lend the debt-hit country, a government source told AFP Wednesday following reports the global lender could boost its contribution by 10 billion euros.

"Everything is under negotiation, everything is open," the official said.

The Financial Times earlier reported that the International Monetary Fund could extend another 10 billion euros (13.2 billion dollars) on top of an existing 15-billion-euro pledge linked to the EU package of 30 billion euros.

The finance ministry declined to comment on the story.

Greece is under increasing pressure to find around nine million euros by May 19 to pay maturing debt. But the interest rate investors demand to lend it money has hit new highs every day on fears of an imminent default.

The rate for a Greek 10-year sovereign bond jumped to 11.142 percent from 9.73 percent on Tuesday, the highest ever recorded for 10-year paper in the eurozone.

The latest surge in yields followed a move Tuesday by ratings agency Standard & Poor's to slash the country's credit status to junk levels.

Leaders from countries comprising the eurozone are set to hold an extraordinary summit on the Greek debt crisis in Brussels on May 10 amid concern that other weak European economies would be the next to suffer.