EU/IMF mission chiefs to arrive in Greece for bailout talks on Wednesday

ATHENS, July 28 (Reuters) - European Union and International Monetary Fund mission chiefs will arrive in Athens on Wednesday for talks on a third bailout programme to keep Greece afloat, a finance ministry official said on Tuesday.

Talks on a technical level began on Monday and were expected to be wrapped up by Friday, the official said adding there could be "follow up" discussions over the weekend under exceptional circumstances.

"Both sides aim to reach a deal as soon as possible," the official said.

The creditors sending representatives to the talks comprise of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF, as well as the euro zone's rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou, editing by Deepa Babington)