Tsipras says he's ready to take responsibility for refusing deal

[ATHENS] Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he's ready to take responsibility for rejecting the terms of a deal on aid if creditors demands are unacceptable.

With a viable solution "the Greek government recently elected by the Greek people will bear the cost of carrying through this difficult agreement," Mr Tsipras told reporters in Athens on Wednesday. Without one, "we will assume the responsibility to say 'the big no' to a continuation of the catastrophic policies for Greece."

Negotiations between Greece and its creditors are close to breakdown as finance ministers prepare to meet in Luxembourg on Thursday that has been billed by officials as a last chance to seal an agreement on as much as 7.2 billion euros in bailout aid. Discussions on Greece at that meeting will be very short and creditors are waiting for Mr Tsipras to respond to their proposals, a European Union official said, asking not to be named in line with policy.

BLOOMBERG