Europe divided over aid package to Greece

While Greece struggles through the economic turmoil, the EU is divided over whether to come to its rescue.

On Monday, Italy and France announced that EU countries should agree on how to help the country with its $419 billion debt. However, Germany insists that aid to the country should not be considered.

On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Deutschlandfunk radio that aid to the country should not be on the agenda of the EU summit in Brussels next week, AP news agency reported.

She went on to add that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou had told her that his country would not ask for financial support from the EU.

Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Monday a compromise on Greece should be found before the EU leaders’ summit due on March 25-26.

“We need a compromise… the agreement should be found before the summit, we have to settle and find a solution,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner agreed to the idea: “I think it would be better if we manage it before the summit,” the agency reported.

So far according to German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm, decisions on aid for Greece are not on the future summit agenda.

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