Greek negotiator Tsakalotos hints at last minute deal
Greece's chief bailout negotiator in Brussels, Euclid Tsakalotos, has confirmed the government is considering a new deal with its European creditors and hinted that a deal may be reached before Sunday's referendum.
Tsakalotos told the BBC that new proposals from the European Union and International Monetary Fund had been submitted.
But he added that even if a deal were to be reached, the Greek government want the referendum to go ahead to strengthen their hand in negotiations.
Dep For Min Tsakalotos tells BBC that Greek banks should be open on Monday. He's less clear about Govt resigning if YES wins on Sunday
— Joe Lynam BBC Biz (@BBC_Joe_Lynam) June 30, 2015
Could there still be a deal before the referendum, I asked Tsakalotos – he implied yes, referring to the EU's last-minute, late night habit
— katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) June 30, 2015
"We see referendum as part of negotiation process, not in lieu of it. We look forward to greater flexibility in days to come," said Tsakalotos, who was given the job of negotiating with Greece's 'Troika' of lenders in April when finance minister Yanis Varoufakis's style proved too bristly.
However, according to Reuters, German chancellor Angela Merkel said that the last offer she is aware of from the Commission was one from Friday last week.
According to an earlier report citing Greek online newspaper Kathimerini, Athens had already begun reconsidering last night's proposal from European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker after some members of the government were said to have urged prime minister Alexis Tsipras to accept the last-minute offer.
The full details of the proposal were not known but included at least one of the Greek government's calls for value-added tax for hotels be set at 13% and not 23%, as originally asked for by creditors.
If Tsipras acquiesced, then an emergency Eurogorup meeting might be called for by Tuesday.