Tsipras welcomes Hollande, 'a true friend of Greece'

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday welcomed France's former president Francois Hollande at the Maximos Mansion in Athens describing him as "a true friend of Greece."

"I am very happy to see again a very good friend, a personal [friend] but most important, a very good friend of Greece," Tsipras said.

"In Greece we have a saying that you gain a friend at tough times. You were a true friend in a time of need," he added.

Tsipras said the two men would discuss ongoing developments that are shaping the future of Europe.