AFP - Germany and Italy are "confident" that a eurozone ministers meeting on Monday will agree new loans for Greece, the Italian government said after talks between German, Greek and Italian leaders.

"The three participants said they were confident that a deal can be reached on Greece at the Eurogroup on Monday," the government said in a statement on Friday following a conference call on the European sovereign debt crisis.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti spoke after Merkel cancelled a scheduled visit to Rome at the last minute due to the resignation of Germany's president.

The call was initiated by Monti, the Italian government said.

Eurozone finance ministers are to meet in Brussels as pressure builds over a Greek rescue package of 130 billion euros ($171 billion) and a writedown on privately held government bonds worth 100 billion euros to avoid Greece defaulting.

Eurogroup president Jean-Claude Juncker earlier said he was confident his colleagues could "take all the necessary decisions on Monday" in Brussels.