| 1 | ATHENS, Greece (AP) " Greece has more or less concluded its bailout discussions with international creditors, officials said Tuesday, raising hopes that the country could be ready to finalize a deal within the day. |
| 2 | "I think we are very close," Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said as he emerged Tuesday morning from all-night talks with negotiators representing Greece's creditors at a central Athens hotel. |
| 3 | "Two or three very small details remain," he added, without elaborating. |
| 4 | Similarly upbeat remarks came from government aide Theodoros Mihopoulos, who said on Twitter that the negotiation had been completed and that "some details remain." |
| 5 | Greece's government is hoping to push the new 85 billion-euro ($93 billion) three-year agreement through parliament this week. |
| 6 | It needs a deal by Aug. 20 at the latest, when the country has a debt repayment of a little more than 3 billion euros to make to the European Central Bank. |
| 7 | Greece won't be able to make that payment without funds emerging from the country's third bailout in just over five years. |
| 8 | However, many in the ruling 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. |
| 9 | 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. |
| 10 | 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. |
| 11 | To secure funds from the bailouts, successive governments have had to implement a series of spending cuts, tax hikes and reforms. |
| 12 | While the austerity has reduced budget overspending, the measures compounded a deep recession and fuelled record high unemployment. |
| 13 | 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. |