Cyprus not asking for more bailout money, mulls early EU structural funds: officials

Cyprus is not asking for a bigger bailout from the euro zone and the International Monetary Fund above the agreed 10 billion euros, but is considering putting the EU structural funds to earlier use to help the country's growth, EU officials said.

Euro zone finance ministers gave political backing to 10 billion euros of loans for the Mediterranean island on Friday and said there were no plans or requests to raise that amount.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters in Nicosia on Friday that he would send a letter to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy to give it extra assistance given the bad economic situation of the island.

Euro zone officials in Dublin said Cyprus had not asked for more money in emergency loans, but was most likely considering a request front load the payment of EU structural funds that come from the EU's long-term budget.

(Reporting by Annika Breidthardt, Luke Baker and Jan Strupczewski)