German Chancellor Angela Merkel Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras review a guard of honour upon Samaras arrival at the Chancellery on August 24, 2012 in Berlin, Germany.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Berlin this morning, as the two discussed the possibility of extending the periphery country's bailout.
Although the two did not announce any agreement at a press conference that just concluded, the two said their talks had marked a "good beginning" between the two countries.
“Greece is part of the euro zone and I want Greece to remain part of the euro zone," Merkel said.
Nonetheless, Merkel said that impatience had grown in her country over Greece, which has been in recession since 2008.
Samaras said Greece would stick to its pledges and that he would work to combat high tax evasion in the country.
However, the pair said they would wait for a coming Troika report before making new decisions on stabilizing the country.
The euro traded lower during the press conference, briefly dropping below $1.2500.