Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager has confirmed reports that the Dutch, German and Finnish finance ministers will meet on Tuesday for talks about the EU debt crisis.

Earlier on Tuesday, Reuters news agency reported that the three ministers would meet in Berlin to talk about possible collateral for loans to Greece. A spokesperson for Mr De Jager emphasised that the meeting was not called specifically to discuss that issue, “but the subject might come up.''

Finland recently took the other EU member states by surprise when it concluded an agreement with the Greek government about cash collateral in exchange for its participation in new loans to Greece. Other countries, the Netherlands included, felt that either the agreement must be scrapped or other countries should receive the same kind of guarantees.

On Thursday, Mr De Jager told representatives of the international media that there was room for a solution. “I see possibilities for equal treatment of creditors without the drawbacks of the draft agreement between Greece and Finland.''

He refused to discuss the nature of the proposals to be discussed today. “I don’t want to disturb the negotiations,” he said.

(gsh/mw)

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