Finance minister says Greece will win debt relief

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece will be 'combative' in talks with its international lenders and win debt relief, the finance minister told parliament on Friday before a vote on unpopular reforms demanded in exchange for bailout aid.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's re-elected government has promised to implement bailout terms and find ways to ease the pain brought by deep economic adjustments. It has pledged to fight in talks with lenders on what it calls "open issues", which include pension reforms, minimum wages, bad loans and debt relief.

"You will have a combative government which will provide a solution to the debt issue," Euclid Tsakalotos told lawmakers in a heated debate before a vote on a first set of reforms.

The omnibus bill cutting pensions, raising the retirement age, increasing punishments for tax evasion and liberalizing the energy market was expected to be approved on Friday by the 155 lawmakers backing the government in the 300-seat parliament.

Athens wants to wrap up its first bailout review and recapitalize its banks quickly, to start talks on debt relief. But it must first enact a long list of reforms in its 86-billion-euro ($98 billion) bailout.

Inspectors from the European Commission, European Central Bank, euro zone rescue fund and International Monetary Fund are expected in Athens at the end of October to assess progress on Greece's third international bailout. ($1 = 0.8797 euros)

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

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