Presidents Pavlopoulos and Steinmeier hail close Greek-German ties

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Thursday called for an end to austerity and for policies that focus on supporting social institutions, warning that "inequalities give rise to entities and bodies that seek to destroy the European Union," during a meeting in Athens with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steimeier.

Welcoming Steinmeier to the Presidential Mansion after the German official had laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Pavlopoulos went on to hail the "excellent bilateral relations" between Greece and Germany, saying that the visit comes as "Greece is making a new start."

Pavlopoulos also thanked Steinmeier for his "important contribution" in negotiations with creditors during the bailout years, saying that the mistakes of the memorandum policies cannot be attributed to the Greek people.

On the issue of Turkish relations, Pavlopoulos...