Greece strives for initial bailout agreement by Feb 20 - finance minister

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece is striving to reach a "political" deal with its international lenders on all issues delaying the conclusion of a key bailout review by a February 20 Eurogroup meeting, the country's finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos said on Monday.

Tsakalotos also told Antenna TV that Greece was not asking the International Monetary Fund "for favourable treatment" but urged the fund to make a decision on whether it would participate in Greece's third rescue programme.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told Reuters in an interview earlier on Monday that the fund could not compromise its principles and cut a sweetheart deal for Greece.

"I would tell Mrs Lagarde to make a decision on whether the fund should participate in the programme, to have fair demands which are not extreme," Tsakalotos said. "What cannot be forgiven is eating up time without giving answers on its intentions."

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Karolina Tagaris)