Pat Dollard

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, with at his side Greek Prime Minister Georges Papandreou, as he addresses reporters during a joint press conference following their talks at the Elysee Palace

Agencie France Presse:

European governments sharing the euro currency will help Greece out of financial crisis “if necessary,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Sunday after talks with the Greek prime minister.

“I want to be very clear. If necessary, eurozone governments will fulfil their commitments and there can be no doubt about that,” Sarkozy told a joint news conference with George Papandreou.

“If Greece needs us, we will be there,” Sarkozy said.

Sarkozy said governments of the 16-nation eurozone were working on a “certain number of specific measures” to help restore Greece but he did not provide details.

The French leader noted however that “today, Greece is not in need of financing,” suggesting that a bailout package was not on the cards.

“The Greek government has taken the measures that we expected. The eurozone governments must now be ready to take theirs,” he added.

Following talks in Berlin, Papandreou was in Paris to seek French backing, just two days after Athens adopted new austerity measures to steer debt-crippled Greece away from financial ruin.

Greece wants to find a “European solution” to its debt crisis and has no immediate plans to ask the International Monetary Fund for help, Papandreou said.