BERLIN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that Berlin wants Greece to stay in the eurozone by running the economic program scheduled by the "troika" mechanism managed by the IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission.
Responding to journalists’ questions in a joint press conference with Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on whether Germany would show flexibility to Greece, Merkel said: "I think that we should primarily wait for the concrete suggestions of Greece; then we can speak further on the issue."
Speaking ahead of a planned meeting between Greece’s new finance minister and his German counterpart on Thursday, Merkel said Germany's policy on Greece has not changed, adding: "We respect for the choice of the Greeks, and await the suggestions of the new government."
Merkel is set to meet Greece’s newly elected prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, at next week’s EU summit.
The new coalition government of Greece, led by the radical left party Syriza, won national elections with a platform strongly opposed to austerity measures and calling for the abolishment of the troika mechanism.
