Greece's Tsipras says optimistic for 'viable' solution with EU

[BRUSSELS] Greece's new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said during a visit to Brussels on Wednesday that he believed it was possible to find a solution to the debt standoff between Athens and the EU.

"I am very optimist(ic) that we will try to do our best in order to find a common, viable and mutually acceptable solution for our common future," Mr Tsipras said in a brief statement alongside European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

Mr Tsipras also held talks with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and EU president Donald Tusk, before leaving for Paris on the latest leg of a swing through Europe aimed at renegotiating Athens's huge international bailout.

The Greek premier, whose leftist Syriza party stormed to victory in elections on January 25, tried to reassure his European partners that he was not trying to break the 28-nation bloc's rules.

"We want to recorrect this framework not to smash this framework," he said.

"And we believe in this framework we could find a common viable solution for our peoples."

Mr Schulz said the talks were "fruitful" but acknowledged it was a "difficult time ahead".

Mr Tsipras visit to Brussels came as his Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis was in Frankfurt for talks with European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, which Mr Varoufakis also described as "fruitful".

AFP