Greek negotiator Tsakalotos says closer to deal, must be viable

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's main negotiator in debt talks with international lenders said on Tuesday the two sides were closer to a deal and said he expected any accord to include a "at least a partial solution" to the issue of the country's huge debt burden.

"Right now there is a discussion among the technical teams..it is obvious that they will raise objections on some points but we are moving forward on these elements, we are closer than ever," negotiator Euclid Tsakalotos told Greek state broadcaster ERT from Brussels.

"We have one criteria in negotiations; that the solution be viable."

Asked whether Greece would pay 1.6 billion euros due to the IMF on June 30, Tsakalotos said: "The deal will have a funding part and that funding part will include at least a partial solution for the debt and therefore we will be able to fulfill our obligations."

(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; editing by James Mackenzie)