German Chancellor Angela Merkel brushed aside Thursday recent reports that her country is considering plans for a smaller "core eurozone", saying that Germany has always been determined to solve the debt crisis under current framework.

Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a press conference after her meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 10, 2011. (Xinhua/Ma Ning)
"Since the very beginning of the eurozone debt crisis, Germany has had only one goal -- to stabilize the euro zone in its current form, making it more competitive and enhancing its budget consolidation," Merkel told reporters after talks with Romanian President Traian Basescu in Berlin.

"We believe that this common euro is able to thoroughly win back its credibility, for every single country," she said.

Merkel's comment came after recent reports that some French and German officials are discussing the possibility of eurozone's breaking apart, changing the existing system to a closer integration with some core members, leaving weak partners within the European Union but out of the euro currency bloc.

Earlier on Thursday, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert also dismissed those speculations, stressing that "the German government is definitely not pursuing such plans..on the contrary, our policies are to stabilise the eurozone as a whole."

During the Group of 20 summit in Cannes last week, Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the euro bloc should put the stability at first, and they cannot rule out the possibility that Greece would leave the area, if Athens failed to realize their commitments.

While insisting the solidarity of eurozone members, Merkel has said many times that the EU should make treaty changes to strengthen financial supervision and better the fiscal management.

Merkel also said that "time is of essence" for Italy facing both political and financial turmoil -- Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced that he would step down once parliament passed austerity measures and the borrowing costs for Italian creditors are soaring to a record high this week.

Rome should "put the austerity package into practice very fast, as it is being planned, and clarify the political leadership very quickly," which is vital for Italy's credibility, she said.

At the press conference, Basescu confirmed that despite current debt troubles, his country hopes to join the eurozone in 2015 if it fulfills all requirements.

"We do not believe in a fragmented Europe," he said. "Romania supports the process of integration."

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet