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Greece seeking joint Merkel-Hollande talks on bailout

Ruined EU and Greek flags fly in tatters from a flag pole at a beach at Anavissos village, southwest of Athens, on Monday, March 16, 2015. Tensions between Greece, its eurozone partners and the institutions supervising the debt, the Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF, have been heightened by the new government's continued election-style rhetoric and the EU's austerity demands. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Ruined EU and Greek flags fly in tatters from a flag pole at a beach at Anavissos village, southwest of Athens, on Monday, March 16, 2015. Tensions between Greece, its eurozone partners and the institutions supervising the debt, the Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF, have been heightened by the new government's continued election-style rhetoric and the EU's austerity demands. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

By Associated Press March 17, 2015 1 min read

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has called for joint talks this week with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and top European Union officials on troubled bailout negotiations threatening his country’s economy.

A senior government official told The Associated Press the request was made Tuesday during a telephone call between Tsipras and European Council President Donald Tusk. He spoke only on condition of anonymity pending official announcements.

The talks would also include European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and be held in Brussels on Thursday ahead of an EU leaders’ meeting. There was no immediate response to the Greek request.

Tsipras is already due to meet Merkel in Berlin on Monday and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 8.