Brussels - Greek premier Alexis Tsipras warned that Greece must be ready for a "difficult compromise" in its talks with creditors as his closest advisers arrived in Brussels on Saturday to thrash out a last-minute deal.
Cash-starved Greece is under huge pressure to strike an agreement to unlock vital bailout funds in the coming days, if not hours, after top euro zone officials turned the screws Friday and said they were preparing the ground for an Athens default.
Tsipras' closest advisors bring with them Greece's latest bid to end five months of standoff with the EU and IMF, who are demanding tough reforms in exchange for giving Athens 7.2 billion Euros ($8.1 billion) still remaining in its international rescue package.
"If we arrive at a viable accord, even if it is a difficult compromise, we will take up the challenge because our only criteria is to get out of the crisis," Tsipras was quoted as telling Greek officials Friday in a government statement.
"The decisions and how we handle them belong to us completely, despite their difficulty," Tsipras said, in the clearest sign yet that major concessions by Athens may be on their way.
Whatever needs to be done "needs to be done quickly", deputy finance minister Dimitris Mardas told Skai TV in Athens, who predicted that there would be a deal.
European sources said the delegation would sit down with top officials from the EU commission, the ECB as well as the IMF, the three institutions formerly known as the troika, which became an object of hate for many Greeks hardest hit by the crisis.
AFP
