Talks for Germany's new government to start next week: Merkel

BERLIN, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that the exploratory talks for a government coalition will start next Wednesday (Oct. 18) with the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens.

Merkel made the announcement at a press conference Monday noon with Horst Seehofer, chairman of Christian Social Union (CSU), the sister party of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Merkel said she has invited FDP and Greens to exploratory talks separately next Wednesday.

On the following Friday (October 20) a joint meeting of the Union, the FDP and Greens was planned, said the German chancellor.

The talks were given way by an agreement between CDU and CSU on a ceiling of the number of refugees Germany accepts every year.