German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande address a news conference after their talks in the Chancellery in Berlin, May 15, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

BERLIN - Germany and France would make joint effort to reinvigorate economic growth in the eurozone, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday following talks with France's newly sworn-in President Francois Hollande.

"It will be very important that Germany and France present their ideas together at this summit and work closely together to prepare it," Merkel told a joint news conference, trying to downplay the differences between her and the French left-wing president, who took office hours ago.

The high-profile visit, which was Hollande's first diplomatic trip, was marred as his plane was forced to return to Villacoublay military airport due to storm.

Hollande then took a second plane to resume the trip to cement the Franco-German relationship, given the unstable financial turbulence cast over the eurozone, not least the mounting pressure of a potential Greek eurozone exit.

Earlier in the day, the final critical talks among Greek party leaders over the formation of a national unity government to lead Greece after the May 6 parliamentary elections collapsed, with the debt-ridden country heading to fresh polls in June.

"We want Greece to stay in the euro," said Merkel at the press conference, adding that Germany and France were prepared "to study the possibility of additional growth measures in Greece" if Athens said they needed them.

Ahead of the meeting, Merkel said that their talks would be no more than two leaders getting known each other instead of a meeting to make any critical decision, adding she would welcome the new French president "with open arms."

However, the two leaders greeted each other by shaking hands instead of the usual embrace.

Calling the French-Germany ties as "balanced" and "respectful", Hollande said that "everything should be put on the table" at the forthcoming informal summit of EU leaders in Brussels due on May 23.

In addition, Hollande also affirmed his wish for a renegotiation of the EU fiscal pact, which has been advocated by Merkel who remained opposed to any change of it.