ATHENS: Greece Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras late Friday said his country’s left-wing government is “very close” to reaching a vital deal with bailout lenders, but insisted there was “no possibility” of giving in to key demands including further cuts to pensions and wages.
Tsipras, who marked 100 days in office this week, is struggling to hammer out a deal with lenders that would release final payouts of the current bailout agreement — seen as crucial to avoid a summer default on loan payments.
Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras gives a speech during an economic conference in Athens, on Friday, May 15, 2015. Tsipras said that his country’s left-wing government is “very close” to reaching a vital deal with bailout lenders, but insists there is “no possibility of retreat” on demands to further axe pensions and wages.