Greek, German leaders to meet amid sour notes

Berlin

THE leaders of debt-wracked Greece and economic powerhouse Germany meet in Berlin on Monday after weeks of bad feeling over Athens' debt woes, bitter wartime memories and an offensive hand gesture.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive Greece's radical left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who has blamed her insistence on tough austerity for his country's "humanitarian crisis" of poverty and mass unemployment.

Ms Merkel, for her part, maintains that if cash-strapped Greece wants more international bailout loans, of which Germany stumps up the biggest share, it must accept the bitter medicine of cuts and reforms.

Talking to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini ahead of the visit, Mr Tsipras said the meeting with Ms Merkel would be an opportunity to talk "without the pressure of any negotiation. It's important because we will be able to talk about topics which are damaging Europe, and about how to improve relations between our two countries". "In this meeting two worlds will collide," …