BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday that Greece must finish its talks with the International Monetary Fund before decisions can be made on how much aid Athens will receive. Merkel told reporters Friday that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou told her that talks with the IMF will take "a couple of days. She stressed that no amount could be named or other decisions taken on her nation's contribution to the aid package until those talks are wrapped up. Merkel underlined that any assistance would be tied to "very strict conditions," including a viable savings plan drawn up in talks between Greece and the IMF and the approval of the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. "Only when these two steps have been completed, can we talk about concrete assistance, including what kind of aid and how much," she said in the German capital, underscoring that it is not possible at this point to say how much Germany would provide for Greece. Merkel defended the assistance, however, calling it necessary to ensure the stability of the 16-nation eurozone. The German public has been critical of extending assistance to Greece, as it recently emerged from years of stagnant growth that saw painful cuts to their own pensions and social security benefits.
