Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis will arrive in Rome today to meet with their Italian counterparts, in an attempt to build bridges of cooperation with the country’s centre-left government. More specifically, Varoufakis will meet with Italian FinMin Pier Carlo Padoan at 11.30 am (local time) and Tsipras will meet with PM Matteo Renzi later in the day.

Today’s talks are considered especially important by the Greek government, as they need Italy as an ally in the common front they are trying to create in the European South against austerity. However, Germany is reportedly trying to undermine Greece’s efforts, with Chancellor Angela Merkel calling the Italian Prime Minister just 24 hours before his critical meeting with Tsipras to discuss his intentions.

According to media reports, Merkel called Renzi to persuade him not to form an alliance with the Greek government and openly support their demands with regard to the Greek debt, as France and the United States recently did.

Padoan’s decision not to organize a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart may or may not be linked with this telephone call. However, it should be noted that before Merkel’s intervention, the Italian Finance Minister was reportedly willing to appear before the cameras alongside Greece’s Varoufakis.

It is reminded that PM Tsipras is scheduled to meet Angela Merkel on February 12 and Yanis Varoufakis will meet his German counterpart, Wolfgang Schaeuble on February 16.