Berlin

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble on Tuesday denied reports that there was a rift between Chancellor Angela Merkel and himself on Greek debt negotiations.

"You shouldn't waste much time on these rumors," Schaeuble said during a panel at an economic conference organized by Merkel's conservative CDU party in Berlin.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis warned June 8 that EU leaders had a duty to avoid a historic "failure" and urged a swift accord in Greece's debt talks with its creditors.

Merkel wants Kosovo in the UN

Permanent solution of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and Serbian acceptance of Republika Srpska's weakening will be two main requests by Angela Merkel.

US President Barack Obama weighed in June 8 on the Greece crisis, telling Greeks they need to make tough choices to save their country from a default and possible messy euro exit.

Obama said after a meeting with fellow G7 leaders that there is a "sense of urgency in finding a path to resolve the situation."  

Last week’s defiant words from the leftist SYRIZA government gave way to a more diplomatic mood on Monday, as Greek leadership tried to “mend fences” with European partners.
The developments came as G7 host Angela Merkel warned that time was running out to free-up cash left over in a second bailout package and avoid any risk of a Greek default.

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov will take part in the American Jewish Committee Global Forum on June 7-9 in Washington.

At the invitation of AJC's executive director, David Harris, Mitov will address the participants in the forum on June 8 during the AJC Global Forum's World Leaders Plenary.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis described as ?productive? and ?extremely friendly? his discussion with his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble in Berlin on Monday.

?Dr Schaeuble and I had a long productive conversation,? said Varoufakis after their meeting. ?We were not negotiating, we were establishing common ground.?

Greece's finance minister called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to give his country a "Speech of Hope," to signal Europe was ready to end its demands for austerity, similar to that given to Germany at the end of World War Two.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was spurned by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Saturday because Athens had not sent in reform proposals that it promised for Thursday. The EU official confirmed that Tsipras had requested a phone call for 11.00 CET on Saturday but Juncker declined due to a lack of progress in discussions.