EU leaders stage late-night mini-summit to try to defuse Greek crisis

Outcome unclear after ECB and IMF chiefs join Merkel and Hollande to seek joint position on negotiations over Greece bailout

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, moved to try to defuse Greece's financial and European crisis late on Monday, converting a routine long-scheduled meeting with French and EU leaders into a mini-summit on Greece.

Merkel met France's president, Franiois Hollande, and the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, for what was billed as a session on how to boost investment in the EU. But they were joined by Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, and Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, in what turned into a late-night session on Greece.