German economy minister says 'not clear' how to keep helping Greece

"This country (....) is ready to help (Greece) get back on its feet - moreover in my firm opinion in the euro and not outside the euro," Sigmar Gabriel said during a talk at the economy ministry.

"How one can do that, does still not appear to me to be very clear," he said.

Gabriel also criticized Greek comments that it owes nearly 279 billion euros in reparations for the Nazi occupation of the country, saying World War Two reparation payments had nothing to do with negotiations on Greece's current debt crisis.

(Reporting by Gernot Heller; Writing by Caroline Copley; Editing by Victoria Bryan)