Athens - European Union paymaster Germany softened its tone on Friday as eurozone finance ministers raced to break a deadlock over Athens' debts.
Hours ahead of the crunch talks in Brussels, a senior Greek official said a deal was close. Germany said Greece's latest proposal was a "good signal" although it did not go far enough in its present form.
The Greek official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Athens had made a lot of concessions to reach an agreement and the eurozone should show some flexibility too.