Germany's chancellor has said she thinks debt-laden Greece is making progress in implementing reforms and austerity measures.

Angela Merkel, who visited Athens last week, said in a video podcast that Greece's progress was slower than hoped "but on this matter we should always give Greece another chance". Her comments appeared to signal a further shift in Germany's position toward showing more patience. The subtle shift comes amid calls from the International Monetary Fund to give Greece two more years to meet the agreed targets.