After several weeks of tensions between Greece and Germany, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is entering the Chancellery in Berlin at 5 pm local time on Monday following an invitation by Angela Merkel. The improvement of the bilateral relations, “bridge difference”, so to say -will be high on the agenda but also the Greek liquidity problem with time and cash shortage pressing.
The meeting between Merkel and Tsipras should not be understood as negotiation talks about the Greek debt problem. Neither does Berlin awaits for Tsipras to submit a full list of much expected reforms. This is something that the debt-ridden country will have to submit to the Eurogroup and the “institutions” -IMF, ECB, EU – by next Friday. Not to Frau Merkel.
Both Merkel and Tsipras have insisted that the meeting aims to improve the damaged bilateral relations and that Greek debt restructuring will not be on the table, nor at the one of the working dinner.
Merkel also downplayed chances of Tsipras producing promised reform measures when they meet, saying “it is not the place for any lists with proposed reforms to be submitted” and they must go to Greece’s international debt inspectors, not to Germany.
Her spokesman Steffen Seibert added a caveat, however, ahead of the meeting on Monday.
“Of course it’s interesting for the chancellor to hear from the Greek prime minister’s mouth what his ideas are,” Seibert told the press.
The working dinner will start at 9 pm, Berlin time.
Several groups organize a Solidarity rally with Greece outside the Chancellery building.
PS I wonder at what stage PM Tsipras will bring up the issue of WWII reparations and whether Chancellor Merkel will propose a deal to him, so in the sense “Refrain from WWII claims vs Liquidity injection”.
I am sorry, but what has this Meeting to do with WW2?