Cautious optimism in Greece after EU talks

The Greek government cautioned against premature celebration on Friday amid cautious optimism following its crunch talks with the EU that it could reach a deal to overhaul the country's bailout.

"We don't want to spread enthusiasm before the deal is done," government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis told Antenna TV.

"Greeks should understand that this is a critical and difficult negotiation, the pressure is enormous," Sakellaridis said.

Athens on Thursday agreed at an EU leaders' summit to start technical talks with eurozone partners in a bid to find common ground over the new hard-left government's plans to ditch part of the country's unpopular EU-IMF bailout.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that he discussed with his counterparts the possibility of a six-month bridging programme to give Greece time to work out a different programme that would be acceptable to its creditors.

"Bridge of dialogue," wrote centre-left Ethnos daily while liberal Kathimerini saw a "window of opportunity for compromise." Greek stocks opened with a 7.0-per cent jump on Friday.

A meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Monday are to discuss the technical proposals in a last-ditch effort.

Greece is facing a possible exit from the euro when its 240-billion-euro (S$370-billion) EU-IMF bailout expires at the end of February.