International banks held talks today aimed at finding a way to contribute to Greece's second debt bail-out.
Banks were due to meet with lobbying group the Institute of International Finance in Rome, an Italian Treasury source said.
Following the meeting, the IIF said participants had discussed 'debt buy-back approaches', but did not go into details.
Today's meeting follows similar talks organised by the IIF in Paris yesterday at which 'a menu of options' was discussed for involving private sector creditors in an aid package for Greece, according to Charles Dallara, the managing director of the bank lobby group.
The officials are trying to work out a solution which would enable private sector creditors to take part in a voluntary deal which would not be defined as a default by ratings agencies but agreement is proving complicated.
A French proposal for a rollover in which bondholders would reinvest at least 70% of the proceeds from bonds maturing before the end of 2014 in new 30-year Greek debt has run into ratings agency objections.
Officials are now looking at a broader range of options.
Van Rompuy calls on Slovakia to back Greek aid
Meanwhile, EU president Herman Van Rompuy urged Slovakia today to back the single European currency through aid to Greece, which the 2009 euro zone entrant has been reluctant to provide so far.
'This is not about Greece alone, it's about safeguarding the euro area financial stability,' Van Rompuy told reporters after meeting Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova.
Slovakia was the only euro zone member to refuse an emergency loan to Greece last year, and its centre-right governing coalition in power since July 2010 has suggested it might refuse to support a new loan as well.
'We are asking other member states who are in a better position to provide guarantees. We are not asking for gifts, we are asking for loans that will be paid with interest,' Van Rompuy said.
'What we are facing now is not a crisis of the euro. The euro is a strong and stable currency,' he added.
Radicova said she was 'facing upset citizens and trying to explain to them we have no other choice,' before adding her country was 'dealing with problems we hadn't caused'.
Baroin and Schaeuble to hold first meeting
Germany and France's finance ministers are due to hold their first one-on-one meeting today as the euro zone's top two economies look to narrow differences over how to involve the private sector in fresh aid for Greece.
Wolfgang Schaeuble and Francois Baroin, who last week took over at France's finance ministry from new IMF chief Christine Lagarde, will meet for dinner in Berlin.
Conditions for a second aid package for debt-stricken Greece is likely to top what one source said would be a broad agenda.
'They will discuss a range of issues, including Ecofin issues and maybe also the presidency of the G20 looking forward to Cannes,' a German government official said, adding there would be no public appearances. 'The agenda is pretty open.'
A summit of G20 leaders in November in Cannes will conclude France's presidency of the group of top economies.
Europe's paymaster Germany, which faces fierce resistance to further bail-outs at home, is particularly insistent on the private sector making a 'substantial contribution' to the next Greek rescue.
Schaeuble wrote to his euro zone colleagues, the ECB and IMF last month proposing a debt swap, whereby banks holding Greek bonds would exchange them for new ones with maturities seven years longer.
Paris reacted coolly to the proposal and French banks instead proposed a voluntary debt rollover.
In his previous role as budget minister, Baroin advocated fiscal discipline and economic convergence with Germany, albeit at a gradual pace and without painful austerity measures.
