Merkel ‘not aware’ of new European proposal for Greece

German Chancellor Angela Merkel played down any hopes of a last-minute deal with Greece on Tuesday, just hours before its bailout deal expires, saying she was not aware of any new offer from the European Commission president.

"This evening at exactly midnight central European time the program expires. And I am not aware of any real indications of anything else," said Merkel at a news conference with Kosovo's prime minister.

"Beyond this, it is clear that we will not close the channels of communication after midnight tonight … that means the door remains open to talks but I cannot say any more than this," she said.

Asked whether she was aware of a last-minute offer to Greece from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Merkel responded: "All I know is that the last offer from the Commission that I'm aware of is from Friday of last week."

[Reuters]