Latest News from Greece
Agreement needed on Souda Bay
The naval base at Souda Bay on Crete is a very important geopolitical card for Greece. It is a good thing that our politicians have matured and, in their great majority, agree with our allowing the United States to use it. But there is the danger of a Greek-US misunderstanding on the issue.
Greece's Demy into Eurovision final
Demy, Greece's representative in the 2017 Eurovision song contest, was two of 10 to qualify for the final in the first round of heats in Kiev, Ukraine.
The 25-year-old singer performed "This Is Love," a song composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos with lyrics from Romy Papadea and John Ballard.
Greece to shortlist contractors for Athens metro expansion by end-2017
Greece will complete a shortlist by the end of the year of potential contractors for a 1.45 billion euro ($1.58 billion) project to expand the Athens metro, the head of operator Attiko Metro said on Wednesday.
State-owned Attiko Metro last month asked for initial expressions of interest in tendering for the construction of the 13km expansion by June 30.
Greek government bond yield lowest since 2012 debt restructuring
Greek government borrowing costs hit their lowest level in over five years on Wednesday as Athens looks set to clinch vital bailout loans from its international lenders.
More than 2,500 refugees live in Athens squats
In Athens, thousands of refugees and migrants remain in buildings occupied by so-called solidarity groups. The response property owners or their lawyers receive when they go to police stations in a bid to get the problem dealt with is that this is being tolerated for now as a "political decision.
IMF on board for Greek bailout, says Slovak finance minister
It looks like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will take part in the financing of Greece's third bailout, Slovakia's finance minister Peter Kazimir said at the EBRD's annual meeting in Nicosia on Wednesday.
"It seems to me that yes, finally [the IMF will provide funding to Greece]. We have to congratulate Christine Lagarde that she managed to convince the IMF," he said.
Voutsis: Greece to table prior actions bill by Saturday
The draft bill with prior actions demanded by Greece's creditors will be tabled in Parliament on Friday or Saturday, House speaker Nikos Voutsis said in Brussels on Wednesday.
He said MPs will vote on the new measures by Saturday, May 20.
Capital controls to stay till at least end of 2018
Greece will spend at least three-and-a-half years under the restrictions of capital controls as their abolition is not expected to come any earlier than the end of 2018, according to a competent credit sector source.
Changes will open the field to bad-loan handling firms
The changes agreed by Athens and its creditors to the legal framework on tackling nonperforming loans (NPLs) will lead to the immediate licensing of 10 NPL management firms. Bank sources also estimate that the simplification of the process will serve to attract more interested companies from Greece and abroad that have hitherto stayed away due to the complicated regulations.
IOM: More Than 49,000 Migrants are Arriving in Europe, Using the Mediterranean Sea
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that the total number of migrants arriving in Europe, using the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of 2017 is more than 49,000, BGNES reported.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung points to prospects for another record-setting tourism season in Greece for 2017
“Greeks are hoping for a super summer”, is the headline of the German-language Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung this week, which cited last year’s record-setting figure of 27.5 million tourists in the country and forecasts for even a 30-million-visitor record for 2017.
Ten pct tax on pay TV stopped sector's growth in its tracks
The special tax on pay-TV services introduced last year has damaged what had been one of the country's few flourishing sectors, to the extent that growth in Greece's pay-TV market ground to a virtual halt in 2016, posting a negligible increase of 0.2 percent over the 2015 level.
FM to brief parties on Greek energy plans in Eastern Mediterranean
The National Council on Foreign Policy will convene on Wednesday for a briefing by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis on Greece's energy plans in the Eastern Mediterranean in light of the recent developments in the region.
EBRD funds to Greece to reach 2 bln euros in 2018
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects its financing in Greece to keep growing and to reach the 2-billion-euro mark by 2018, one of its top officials said on Tuesday.