“We want a strong Greece in the euro area and Germany is ready to offer all kinds of help that is needed,” Merkel said before hosting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou for dinner in Berlin today. Greece has a “high responsibility to meet the conditions and expectations.”

Merkel, who joined Papandreou at a German industry association conference in the German capital earlier today, said “I have heard so far that Greece is ready to meet the conditions” set by the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission. “We will discuss in great detail how we can be of help here.” Merkel said her government and German industry “wish Greece success on the difficult path it is pursuing.”