Summary Tsipras' visit to Vienna comes two days before a meeting of eurozone finance ministers
VIENNA (AFP) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Monday he was "optimistic" about reaching a compromise with the European Union on renegotiating the debt-hit country s massive international bailout.
"There is a common desire to resolve this crisis. I am optimistic that we will reach a compromise with our European partners," he told a press conference with Austria s Chancellor Werner Faymann in Vienna.
"Throughout its history the EU has had its ups and downs, and we have always found a solution. I don t see any reason why we would not be able to reach an accord," Greece s new leftist leader added without elaborating.
Tsipras visit to Vienna comes two days before a meeting of eurozone finance ministers and a European summit focused on the Greek crisis on Thursday.
Faymann stressed that the EU and the 19 members of the single currency union Eurogroup must find a solution as "the eurozone must remain united in a difficult situation".
He also underlined the need for Greece to respect its obligations to its European partners.
Greece s new leftist government has said the country intends to honour its debts but Tsipras has insisted he would be "unshakeable" in carrying out an anti-austerity agenda and called for temporary EU funding to help stave off a default.
So far Greece s demands for more time to renegotiate the country s massive 240 billion euro ($275 billion) EU-IMF rescue deal have hit a wall, with European paymaster Germany vehemently opposed.
On Monday German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that "if they (the Greeks) want our help, there needs to be a programme" agreed with creditors, rather than the emergency assistance that Athens had called for.
"I still don t understand how they (Greece) want to do it," he added after arriving at a G20 meeting in Istanbul.
