| 1 | Greek finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos sounded upbeat about the prospects of an imminent deal that would prevent the country's default later this month and secure its future in the euro. |
| 2 | ATHENS: Greece only has a few details to iron out with international creditors before concluding a bailout agreement, officials said Tuesday, raising hopes that the cash-strapped country could be ready to finalize a deal within the day. |
| 3 | "I think we are very close. Two or three very small details remain,'' he said as he emerged Tuesday morning from all-night talks with negotiators representing Greece's creditors at a central Athens hotel. |
| 4 | He did not elaborate further on the outstanding details. |
| 5 | Similarly optimistic remarks came from government aide Theodoros Mihopoulos, who said on Twitter that the negotiation had been completed and that ``some details remain.'' |
| 6 | Greece's government is hoping to push the new 85 billion-euro ($93 billion) three-year agreement through parliament this week, ahead of an expected meeting between eurozone finance ministers on Friday. |
| 7 | A key test will be the reaction of Greece's creditor countries. |
| 8 | Germany, the largest single contributor to Greece's two previous bailouts, has stressed the importance of being thorough in the complicated negotiations. |
| 9 | Greece needs a deal by Aug. 20 at the latest, when it has a debt repayment of a little more than 3 billion euros to make to the European Central Bank. |
| 10 | The country won't be able to make that payment without funds emerging from the country's third bailout in just over five years. |
| 11 | However, many in the governing left-wing Syriza party are voicing their opposition to the deal, which would see the imposition of further spending cuts among a series of austerity measures. |
| 12 | Syriza lawmaker and dissenter Costas Lapavitsas reiterated his opposition and said he would not vote in favour of the new deal in Parliament. |
| 13 | "Left-wing governments must take left-wing actions,'' he said on private Mega television. |
| 14 | Greece has relied on international bailouts worth a total 240 billion euros ($263 billion) since it lost market confidence and was unable to borrow from anyone else in 2010. |
| 15 | To secure funds from the bailouts, successive governments have had to implement a series of spending cuts, tax hikes and reforms. |
| 16 | While the austerity has reduced budget overspending, the measures compounded a deep recession and fuelled record high unemployment. |
| 17 | Figures next week are set to confirm that Greece's recession deepened in the second quarter as concerns over the country's euro future dented confidence. |
| 18 | Though the radical left-led government was elected on a staunchly anti-austerity platform in January, it has been forced into a policy U-turn after bailout talks came close to collapse last month. |
| 19 | While Greece's parliament ratified further tax hikes and reforms, the rebellion by hardline Syriza lawmakers has left Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' party with only a nominal parliamentary majority. |
| 20 | It depends on opposition backing to pass key creditor-demanded legislation. |
| 21 | That has stoked talk that Tsipras will call early elections soon after the bailout deal is signed. |
| 22 | Greece only has a few details to iron out with international creditors before concluding a bailout agreement, officials said Tuesday, raising hopes that the cash-strapped country could be ready to finalize a deal within the day. |