"We agree it is important that the troika should talk with Cyprus and that there can be no special conditions for Cyprus because we have common rules in Europe," Merkel told a news conference. "We are far from the end of the talks."

She was speaking after talks with visiting Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who said that "privatisations were one of the key elements that allowed Malta to move forward" and make its economy more competitive.

Center>Copyright Reuters, 2013