Greece's economic reforms plan includes "harsh" measures the government would not have proposed had it had a choice, a spokesman has said.

US stocks advanced yesterday as investors grew more optimistic that there would be a breakthrough in talks between Greece and its lenders.

Greece has finally offered economic reforms that creditors consider closer to being acceptable, giving Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras a few days to clinch a deal that might stop the country leaving the euro.

The Greek Prime Minister has said his country needs debt relief.

Greece will continue paying its debts after its ruling Radical Left Coalition narrowly rejected a call by party hardliners to miss its next International Monetary Fund loan instalment.

EU leaders emerged from a meeting with the Greek prime minister saying the country needs to come up with a reform plan if it wants more of their money.