ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's deputy prime minister says the country could return to international bond markets in 2017 if the current impasse with bailout lenders is resolved quickly.

Yiannis Dragasakis told a financial conference Friday that Greece could hold a 2017 "test auction" if negotiations with rescue lenders for the next round of loan payments are concluded "in the next few weeks."

He made the comments as France's Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and Finance Minister Michel Sapin were in Athens for talks. Greek officials were expected to ask for assistance in overcoming sticking points in the bailout talks.

Forced to impose deeper spending cuts, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has seen his ratings plummet in recent opinion polls and is facing a growing wave of strikes.