News archive of January 2019

The Intercity rail service is set to return to Greek tracks in the coming weeks, as railway operator Trainose is, according to sources, planning to resume the four-hour connection between Athens and Thessaloniki in a bid to raise its corporate profile and increase passenger numbers.

Energy authorities have been in emergency mode over the last few days to ensure a sufficient supply of electricity and natural gas to Greece, as a prolonged cold spell has shot demand up to record levels and the gas network is operating without reserves, despite the operation of the new depot on Revithoussa island.

The parliament of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) passed an amendment to the constitution on Friday to rename the country "Republic of North Macedonia," in line with an agreement with Greece to put an end to a 27-year-old dispute.

The foreign minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, said the Balkan country was "making history" after lawmakers on Friday ratified a name-change deal signed with Greece in June.

Dimitris Sioufas, a former New Democracy minister and Parliament speaker from 2007 to 2009  died on Friday. He was 75.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has congratulated Prime Minister Zoran Zaev of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the successful completion of the revision of the Balkan country's constitution in line with the so-called Prespes accord signed with Greece in June.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday agreed to disagree on the issue of the Prespes deal, as anticipated, but reportedly saw eye-to-eye on issues relating to Greece's continued economic reforms and the need for investments.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has completed its 3.9-billion-euro project financing, paving the way for construction to be completed for start-up in 2020, its managing director said on Friday.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has congratulated his counterpart Zoran Zaev of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the outcome of a parliament vote on constitutional changes related to the name agreement with Greece, his press office said in a statement.

The deal clears the way for FYROM to join NATO and potentially the European Union.

Consumer prices in Greece increased at a rate of 0.6 percent in 2018, almost half as fast as in 2017, according to data published on Friday by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

December also witnessed a 0.6 percent increase of the consumer price index compared to the last month of 2017, while on a monthly basis prices advanced 0.1 percent from November 2018.