Putin and Tsipras seeking to profit from historic ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras agreed Friday that it was time the deep and historic ties binding the two countries were manifested in further economic cooperation.

"We must transform these good relations and the emotional rapport between the two nations into tangible economic results," the Russian leader said on the first day of a two-day official visit to Greece aimed at securing bilateral agreements in trade, investment and joint energy and transport projects.

Russia has shown interest in buying Greek railway company Trainose and the port of Thessaloniki, the country's second largest.

Despite Russia being a major trading partner of Greece, the trade sanctions imposed by the European Union in response to the Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support of separatists in Ukraine are biting hard on both...