Athens (AFP) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday said he was confident that tough negotiations with his country's EU-IMF creditors would reach a deal by early May."Our goal... is to reach a first agreement this week if possible, or next week at the latest," Tsipras said in a late night interview with Greece's Star TV."I believe we are close," he said.Greece has been trying to negotiate a deal that would unlock 7.2 billion euros ($7.8 billion) in remaining EU-IMF bailout money that the debt-ridden country needs to avoid default and a possible exit from the euro.But the Tsipras government, elected in January on an anti-austerity ticket, has resisted pressure to continue with a policy of cuts in return for the cash.Tsipras said that if his government was pressured by Greece's creditors into a deal conflicting with its electoral programme, he would put the issue to a referendum."If I end up with a deal beyond the limits (of my mandate), I have no other option, the people will decide," he said."However, there will be no need for a referendum as there will be a deal...