Greece, Germany said to offer compromises on rescue terms

PUBLISHED ON FEB 13, 2015 10:30 AM

BRUSSELS (Bloomberg) - Greece and Germany are pursuing a deal on the conditions required to continue the Greek bailout as each side signals a willingness to compromise, according to government officials taking part in the talks.

Germany won't insist that all elements of Greece's current aid program continue, said two officials in Berlin. As long as the programme is prolonged, they said, Germany would be open to talking about the size of Greece's budget surplus requirement and conditions to sell off government assets.

For its part, Greece is prepared to commit to a primary budget surplus, as long as it's lower than the current 4 per cent of gross domestic product, according to Greek government officials. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's coalition also might be willing to compromise on privatizations, one of the officials said. All the officials asked not to be named because the deliberations are private and ongoing.

"Europe - and this is Europe's success - is always about finding a compromise," Chancellor Angela Merkel said as she arrived for a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels on Thursday. "You make compromises when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Germany is ready for that, but you also have to say that Europe's credibility depends on us sticking to the rules and that we deal with each other in a reliable way."