GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel warned today that it was too early to speculate on a new deal for Greece because Athens had made no suggestions on reducing its debts.

“We are waiting for the concrete proposals and then we can talk further,” said Ms Merkel, who could have her first meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras when EU leaders gather in Brussels next Thursday.

Germany has long been the toughest enforcer of so-called debt-reduction policies, particularly in countries such as Greece that received bank-bailout loans from fellow EU states.

Despite Berlin’s cautionary comments, Mr Tsipras and his Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis are on a whirlwind tour of Europe to discuss possible solutions.

They want easier terms of repayment on the €240 billion (£181bn) bailout loan debt and to relax the austerity measures the country has been forced to make.

“I’m very optimistic after these discussions that we are in a good way,” said Mr Tsipras after meeting the presidents of the three main EU institutions in Brussels.

“We don’t have already an agreement but we are in a good direction to find a viable agreement.”

He was welcomed at the European Commission by its president Jean-Claude Juncker.

Mr Juncker has said that the EU would show flexibility in helping Athens with its debts but has ruled out wholesale policy changes.

The Greek PM then headed to Paris to meet France’s Socialist Party President Francois Hollande, whom he regards as a potential ally.

Mr Hollande called for a “long-term” solution for Greece, but he stressed the need for “respect for the European rules.”

Mr Tsipras responded: “I am sure that our partners want to listen to us and I am sure that we can work together to overcome the crisis in Greece.”

Mr Varoufakis met European Central Bank president Mario Draghi in Frankfurt and will hold talks this morning with German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble in Berlin.

He said that he and Mr Draghi had had “a very fruitful discussion” about the rules and constraints of the monetary union.