Greek PM pleads with eurozone for bailout payment

"Greece has done what it committed to doing," Mr Samaras said.

He was referring to austerity measures forced through by his government and its predecessor that have seen the economy shrink by a quarter in four years - one of the most dramatic collapses in history.

"Our partners along with the IMF must also do what they have undertaken. It is not just the future of our country but the stability of the entire eurozone that depends on this effort," he pleaded.

The EU, IMF and European Central Bank "troika" that has masterminded Greek attacks on public services and workers' rights had made the latest austerity budget, which sliced another €9.4 billion (£7.6bn) off public spending and raised the retirement age, a condition for Athens receiving up to €44bn (£35bn) in loans it needs to pay its creditors.

But since the budget was passed amid widespread protests on November 12 eurozone ministers have dragged their feet over the details of any further "assistance."

The IMF is reportedly at loggerheads with the EU over whether to give Greece an extra two years to reduce its debt to a "manageable" 120 per cent of GDP.

Athens was forced to raise emergency cash by borrowing more on four-week Treasury bonds last week merely to keep afloat - which leaves it with an even bigger bill to repay next month.

EU bosses showed no sense of urgency today. "We now have a series of options on the table," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

"We discussed this intensely but because the questions are so complicated we did not reach a conclusive solution."

Ministers will meet to discuss Greece again on Monday, after a key summit kicks off tomorrow to thrash out the €1 trillion (£800bn) EU budget.

Disagreements between member states on whether to increase, freeze or cut that budget have led to increasing scepticism that a deal can be reached and Germany has already hinted that this meeting may also be inconclusive.