News archive of March 2015

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos visited the old town of Nicosia, Cyprus' capital city, on Tuesday and walked the streets of the buffer zone, the demilitarised area patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.

Talks between officials from Greece and its EU/IMF lenders in Brussels have ended without a deal on the country's reform plans and may continue next week, three Greek government officials said on Tuesday.

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday, 100 days since he has become head of state, reviewed his main achievements over this period, underscoring the constitutional responsibilities he has in regards with national defence, national security and foreign policy.

Photo credit: (c) Angelo BREZOIANU / AGERPRES PHOTO

Greece "does not agree" with sanctions imposed on Russia

MOSCOW -- Greece "does not agree" with the sanctions of the West against Russia, as it considers them "a road to nowhere," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said.

In an interview for TASS ahead of his visit to Moscow, he noted there was a chance to raise the level of trade between the two countries "to a higher level."

According to Reuters, the talks between Greek officials and the technical teams of Greece’s international creditors have concluded without a deal.

Citing government sources, the news agency says that the negotiations were halted not because of a rupture but due to the slow progress in the discussion.

As many as 11 customs office employees and three border police officials have been detained at Bulgaria's Kapitan Andreevo border crossing on Monday evening, Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov has confirmed.

BELGRADE - Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Tuesday that the EU prospects are a cure that helps ease tensions in the Western Balkans.

Seven people were arrested early on Tuesday in the Roma neighborhoods of Plovdiv and Pazardzhik for preaching radical Islam on Facebook.

The arrests were made in the Roma districts of Plovdiv, Asenovgrad, and Pazardzhik under the supervision of the prosecuting authority, according to reports of the Focus news agency.

BELGRADE - Secretary General of the Serbian Foreign Ministry Veljko Odalovic said Tuesday that the ICTY is not up to the task assigned to it, stressing that Serbia should not be held accountable for things that are not its fault or responsibility.

The union representing doctors at Greece's public hospital has give the Health Ministry until April 20 to make progress on new hires, overtime pay and measures for treating uninsured patients, warning of strike action unless demands are met.