The leaders of Germany and France are holding their first meeting of the year as some of the euro zone's countries worry about high borrowing costs and Europe works to hammer out a treaty enshrining tougher budget rules. Monday's meeting of Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy comes ahead of new Italian Premier Mario Monti's first visit to Berlin Wednesday. Merkel and Sarkozy will travel to Italy January 20 before a European summit at the end of the month, according to a report of the Associated Press.
