Euro zone, Athens closer to Greek reform list, more work needed - euro zone official

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone deputy finance ministers got an update on Wednesday on Greece's progress on a reform list that would help unlock new lending, but while recent talks brought progress, more work was needed to reach a deal, a senior euro zone official said. The deputy ministers, called the Euro Working Group, prepare meetings of euro zone finance ministers that can decide whether to disburse new loans to Greece which is running out of cash and could be bankrupt by the end of the month. To release funds to Athens, euro zone ministers have asked for a series of reforms that would make Greek public finances sustainable and its economy competitive. Greece has been working on the reforms with three institutions representing its institutional creditors -- the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. "The only purpose of the call was to be updated by the three institutions and the Greek colleagues on where the talk in Athens and Brussels are at," a senior euro zone official familiar with the content of the teleconference said. "We have taken note that there has been progress and convergence for the last days but there is still quite some work that needs to be done to come to a successful conclusion of this part of the process which is a comprehensive list of measures that will form the basis - and be a credible perspective - for, ultimately, a successful conclusion of the review, which continues to be our aim," the official said. "We stand ready to fully engage within our mandate as soon as there is an agreed output between the three institutions and the Greek authorities," the official said. (Reporting By Jan Strupczewski)