Merkel, Hollande agreed need for 'viable solution'

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday that Greece and EU heavyweights Germany and France had agreed that last-ditch bailout talks must reach a "viable solution" as negotiations broke-up without a deal.

"The European leaders realised that we must offer a viable solution and the chance for Greece to return to growth," Tsipras said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of an EU-Latin America summit in Brussels.

This solution "must bring sustainable debt, and a perspective that will provide security and stability not only to Greece, but also to Europe," he added.

A German spokesman also struck a positive note, saying that the talks between the three leaders agreed on the need for accelerated negotiations between Greece and the EU-IMF creditors overseeing its bailout.

"They agreed that the discussion between the Greek government and the institutions must be intensified," the spokesman said in a short statement.  
Source: AFP