Greece keen to keep bilateral ties on even keel, Tsipras says in Moscow

Athens wants to mend the damage caused to ties with Moscow in the summer, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Friday.

"Dialogue is not always easy. However, our desire for [bilateral] ties to stay on the steady tracks that we built after 2015 helps us overcome any difficulties," Tsipras said during a joint press conference.

In July, Athens expelled two Russian diplomats claiming that they had sought to undermine Greece's name deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and meddle in domestic affairs. Moscow responded in kind by expelling Greek envoys.

"The case is closed, we are looking ahead," Tsipras said.

The two leaders held a constructive meeting, Tsipras said, adding he believed it would help strengthen cooperation between the two countries. He said the two...