German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Athens for the first time since Europe's financial crisis broke out there three years ago, a sign she's seeking to silence the debate on pushing Greece out of the euro.

Merkel's visit to the Greek capital Oct. 9 to meet with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras underscores the shift in her stance since she held out the prospect last year of Greece exiting the 17-nation currency region.

"The meeting could mark the turning point to the Greek crisis," said Constantinos Zouzoulas, an analyst at Axia Ventures Group, a brokerage in Athens. "This is a very significant development for Greece ahead of crucial decisions by the euro zone for the country."

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