"We expect that Greece may return to markets within the next 12 to 18 months”, Caroline Atkinson, the IMF’s Foreign Relations director said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters, Atkinson noted that the Greek program was proceeding as anticipated and stressed that the Greek government’s contacts with its creditors -that took place recently during a road show by Greek Finance Minister George Papakonstantinou accompanied by troika experts in European capitals- “went very well”.

The IMF official said Greece could return to markets by the end of 2011 or early 2012, although she underlined that a restructuring program allowed the country to remain outside capital markets for longer.