ATHENS?- Greece has dropped its plans to hold a controversial referendum on the country's euro zone membership, which had threatened to plunge the bloc into a crisis, the country's finance ministry said on Friday.

Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos made the pledge in telephone calls made to Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission's Economy and Monetary Affairs chief Olli Rehn and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, the Greek finance ministry said in a statement.

"Venizelos informed his interlocutors about the decision to not hold a referendum," the statement said.??