File Photo of French President Francois Hollande.
Bratislava:
French President Francois Hollande insisted on Friday that 'everything' must be done to seal a compromise on the Greek debt crisis before an emergency Eurozone summit in Brussels Monday.
"We must do everything to relaunch negotiations, so the talks can achieve a compromise, but one in line with European rules" said Hollande following talks in Bratislava with his Slovak counterpart.
Later he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel 'summed up' the dynamics of the Greek debt crisis in a brief telephone call, a source close to the French president said.
The leaders of the two eurozone powerhouses agreed that "The next three days until the extraordinary summit Monday were to be used to move towards an agreement between Greece and (creditor) institutions - the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission," the source said.
Earlier Hollande said the emergency eurozone summit would be 'crucial'.
"I don't want us to meet only to come to the conclusion that we have failed," he said.
EU President Donald Tusk called a summit of the leaders of the 19 eurozone countries on Monday in Brussels after finance ministers failed Thursday to break the five-month-old deadlock between the anti-austerity government in Athens and its EU-IMF creditors.
Greece has until the end of June to agree a reform deal in order to secure the remaining portion of its multi-billion-euro bailout, which it needs to avoid defaulting on an IMF debt payment of around 1.5 billion euros.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Friday Bratislava was 'prepared' for a Grexit - Greece leaving the eurozone - echoing its long held hardline on the Greek debt crisis.
"We want Greece to stay in the eurozone, but not at all costs" he said following talks with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron.
"Slovakia is prepared both mentally and technically for the eventuality of Greece exiting the eurozone. We will thoroughly insist on Greece doing its homework" he said.
"We must do everything to relaunch negotiations, so the talks can achieve a compromise, but one in line with European rules" said Hollande following talks in Bratislava with his Slovak counterpart.
Later he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel 'summed up' the dynamics of the Greek debt crisis in a brief telephone call, a source close to the French president said.
The leaders of the two eurozone powerhouses agreed that "The next three days until the extraordinary summit Monday were to be used to move towards an agreement between Greece and (creditor) institutions - the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission," the source said.
Earlier Hollande said the emergency eurozone summit would be 'crucial'.
"I don't want us to meet only to come to the conclusion that we have failed," he said.
EU President Donald Tusk called a summit of the leaders of the 19 eurozone countries on Monday in Brussels after finance ministers failed Thursday to break the five-month-old deadlock between the anti-austerity government in Athens and its EU-IMF creditors.
Greece has until the end of June to agree a reform deal in order to secure the remaining portion of its multi-billion-euro bailout, which it needs to avoid defaulting on an IMF debt payment of around 1.5 billion euros.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Friday Bratislava was 'prepared' for a Grexit - Greece leaving the eurozone - echoing its long held hardline on the Greek debt crisis.
"We want Greece to stay in the eurozone, but not at all costs" he said following talks with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron.
"Slovakia is prepared both mentally and technically for the eventuality of Greece exiting the eurozone. We will thoroughly insist on Greece doing its homework" he said.
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