the prime minister's office

The prime minister's office on Tuesday responded to the alleged taping of central banker Yannis Stournaras by Alternate Minister Pavlos Polakis, saying it has always respected the independence of the Bank of Greece "even when its governor has expressed different views on crucial issues of economic policy."

The new regulations on the protection of the main residence of debtors, agreed on Thursday by the government and the managers of systemic banks, may maintain a relatively large safety net, but sets strict terms that lead to a substantial clearing process through the provisional screening of applications so as to exclude strategic defaulters.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's meeting with his junior coalition partner Panos Kammenos was brought forward to Sunday morning, according to a press release by the Prime Minister's office on Saturday.

The meeting, during which the two sides will discuss the conditions for the dissolution of their partnership and their next steps, is scheduled at 10.30 a.m.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his junior coalition partner Panos Kammenos will most likely meet on Monday afternoon to discuss the conditions for the dissolution of their partnership and their next steps following a phone conversation on Saturday, Kathimerini understands.

Thousands of protesting students flooded Tirana's George Bush Street near parliament on Thursday, in the ninth day of protests in Albania against tuition fee rises, over university autonomy and living conditions in dormitories.

The Iraqi government has decided to deploy guards to its border with Turkey to prevent any breaches from happening, a statement from the Prime Minister's office said. 

The daily newspaper Koha Ditore reported on Thursday that Kosovo's government has started working on a "plan B" to transform the current lightly armed Security Force, KSF, into a regular army.

According to the newspaper, the plan envisages a 10-year transition process.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on May 3 met Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar at the Prime Minister's Office in the capital Islamabad.

The prime minister's office reacted to Monday's incident near Ro saying that the Turkish helicopter was flying near the eastern Aegean islet with its navigation lights out, but did not violate Greece's airspace.

The lights-out flight ostensibly occurred in the context of "safe provocativeness," it said, adding that such tactics carry the risk of potential accidents.

The Prime Minister's office issued a strong-worded statement on Sunday evening referring to an "incomprehensibly slippery road of provocative attacks", in response to comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about two cases involving Greek and Turkish soldiers earlier in the day.