Greece hopeful on eurozone bailout: minister

(ATHENS) - Greece is hopeful that eurozone finance ministers will take a "positive decision" Thursday on a key bailout package, finance minister Evangelos Venizelos said before heading for the talks.

"I leave for Brussels with hope that the Eurogroup will take a positive decision concerning the new aid plan," Venizelos said.

He was speaking after talks on austerity measures between Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank officials.

Overnight talks in Athens followed lengthy negotiations between Greece's coalition leaders seeking a deal on fresh austerity measures needed to trigger the release of a 130-billion-euro ($173 billion) loan package.

Greece requires the EU and IMF loan to meet debt payments due in March.

While the coalition leaders failed to reach agreement early Thursday, the prime minister's office said the reduction of pensions was the only outstanding single sticking point.

Government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis, said another 600 million euros in savings had to be found, most of it from pensions.

The Eurogroup meeting, bringing together finance ministers of the 17 nations which use the euro common currency, is due to open at 1700 GMT in Brussels