Greek PM Tsipras is meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel Monday in Berlin, with a press conference scheduled for later this afternoon. Tensions between the two countries have been rising steadily in recent months as the stalemate over Greece's implementation of what SYRIZA see as a failed reform programme of austerity, continues. Renewed Greek demands for war reparations have intensified divisions, although there has has been recognition from some in the German parliament, that they might have a valid case.

The meeting takes place following a letter that Tsipras sent to Berlin on 15 March, published Sunday by the Financial Times' Peter Spiegel. The letter set out to detail a number of developments that were “either undermining the spirit of the agreements…or making their fulfillment perilously difficult.” EU officials note that the letter was also sent to other key European figures. The Greek PM also warned that without bailout funds it would be impossible to service existing debt repayment obligations, “Given that Greece has no access to money markets, and also in view of the ‘spikes’ in our debt repayment obligations during the spring and summer . . . it ought to be clear that the ECB’s special restrictions when combined with disbursement delays would make it impossible for any government to service its debt.” 

 
Tsipras lamented slow progress in the technical talks between Brussels and Athens, largely due, he said, to the institutions' technical team showing “little regard' for the 20 February Eurogroup agreement, which Greece insists paves the way for a new framework for negotiations. Instead, he noted, the Brussels team was “committed to proceeding along the lines of the Memorandum of Understanding that pre-dates both the 20th February agreement and 25th January 2015 – the date on which the Greek people elected a new government with a mandate to negotiating the new process established by the 20th February Eurogroup agreement.”
 
Tsipras' attempts to secure a timely injection of cash at last Thursday's EU summit were rebuffed as Greece left with orders to produce a list of viable economic reforms that could be approved by its creditors before further funds would be released. The Greek PM played down the government's liquidity problem in the letter, though, calling it a “small cash flow problem”, that he hopes will not be allowed to “turn into a large problem for Greece and for Europe,” 

Greek government spokesman, Gavriel Sakellarides, has said ,“We are looking forward to this meeting. There’s a good chemistry between the two leaders. It’s much better that they talk directly to one another.”