International

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held an inner cabinet meeting today to review the captivity of two Greek army officers jailed by Turkey, as well as Turkish hostility in Cyprus’ EEZ and developments on the economic front.

The prime minister asked that the UN convey to the Turkish side the message on the need to have a swift, positive outcome in the case, with the freeing and return of the two Greek army officers.

The group is responsible for about 30 arson attacks on anarchist hangouts, on sit-ins at other venues, and on other buildings.

A new NSC would include the ministers of foreign affairs, defence, public order, shipping (which has the Coast Guard under its purview), the head of the EYP intelligence service, the military top brass, and the prime minister’s defence and foreign affairs advisors.

As for Kammenos, Papadopoulos said he met him once at the ministry at the start of 2016, in the presence of Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, who is currently Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will call Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and PM Binal Yildirim “if necessary”, in order to secure the return of two Greek army officers who were taken hostage by Turkish troops on 2 March. “We are closely monitoring developments, but we are obliged to respect […]

From the early hours of Tuesday morning, Greek Police’s Counter-Terrorism Squad (DAEEB) has been conducting operations in Attica and in one provincial city, which was not named by authorities. Counter-terrorism police arrested six individuals who are being investigated for participation in a criminal organisation, for possession of explosives, and for having set off explosions and […]

The Italy of Sandro Pertini, Enrico Berlinguer, and Aldo Moro managed to enter the dance of the beasts. More than half the voters supported the Five Star Movement and the League of the North.

A surprise collaboration is apparently in the offing between Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) and the Spanish energy company Repsol for hydrocarbons exploration in Greece’s ‘Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) blocks in the Ionian Sea and south of Crete.

Yiğit Bulut, a senior advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is once again unleashing statements against Greece and Cyprus, this time with regard to the Imia islets and Cyprus’ EEZ.

On the one side is the European Commission, whose approach is shared by the Greek government and supported by France, which is in favour of a “clean” exit. That means a permanent return to the markets in summer of 2018, armed with a reform roadmap up to 2021 and a cash buffer of 19 billion euros,

The Greek government, and especially the defence ministry, is monitoring the situation, hoping that the officers might be released immediately, after they are handed down a suspended sentence for illegal entry into a forbidden zone.

Alexis Tsipras wants to complete the fourth and last bailout evaluation on time, secure a deal on debt relief, and restore calm on the nation national front, in ties with Greece’s neighbours.

Of the high cap stocks, the biggest gains were noted by Sarantis (+1.54 percent at 14.5 euros), Eurobank (+1.54 percent at 0.7920 euros), OLP (Piraeus Port Authority, +1.20 percent at 16.800 euros) and DEH Public Power Corporation (+1.03 percent at 2.758 euros).

Newly appointed foreign minister of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis will hold talks in Athens today with Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

With the political leadership deeply divided and unable to prudently manage national issues with understanding and concord, with businessmen persecuted and bankers afraid to sign a loan arrangement or issue a new loan, one cannot be freed from the bonds of the crisis or create conditions for growth and prosperity.

Toskas said the attacks are an affront to democracy, free speech, university asylum, and to citizens more generally, and that they are being handled lawfully.

The Greek government is attempting to downplay the incident, and the negotiations have been undertaken by the Greek Foreign Ministry and the Greek Embassy in Ankara.

“All populist governments - whether right-wing or left-wing – follow the same three axes: controlling the press, meddling in the judiciary, and prosecuting political opponents,” the main opposition leader declared.

Domestic and foreign finance and economy experts struck an optimistic note about the prospects for Greek banks at the 3rd Delphi Economic Forum, which is discussing “New Globalisation and Growth Challenges”.