BERLIN (Sputnik) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday congratulated Greek Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras on his the victory in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections over the phone, press secretary of the chancellor’s office Steffen Seibert said.
“The chancellor and Alexis Tsipras used this opportunity [the phone conversation] to exchange opinions ahead of the extraordinary European Council meeting next Wednesday, September 23, and agreed to tightly cooperate on the bilateral issues and the subjects of the European politics which will be discussed there,” Seibert said.
Earlier in the day, Steinmeier stated that Germany was ready to cooperate with the new Greek government on a number of issues, including overcoming the Greek debt crisis, as well as attempting to tackle the massive EU refugee crisis.
The vote was held in Greece after then-Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned from the post in August and called for the parliamentary elections to gain public support for austerity reforms he backed to receive financial aid from international creditors and keep the country in the eurozone.
