Obama hails reforms, refugee management; skirts foreign policy in meeting with president

Outgoing US President Barack Obama arrived at the Presidential Mansion in central Athens on Tuesday, where he was welcomed by his Greek counterpart Prokopis Pavlopoulos as a leader who has earned global distinction for "defending humanity, democracy and justice."

"Our people are bound by historic ties of friendship and cooperation," Pavlopoulos said in comments to the visiting US president, adding that "I am certain your successor, Donald Trump, will continue on the same path."

Pavlopoulos stressed three issues in his address to Obama. He called for a swift resolution in Cyprus with guarantees, the need to defend the Lausanne Treaty, as the questioning of any borders is tantamount to "questioning Europe's borders," and also made reference to "neighboring states claiming a name" in apparent swipe at Skopje over Athens's name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of...