European Commission

A meeting between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis concluded on Monday night. Government sources state that Tsipras was briefed on the progress of negotiations with Greece's international creditors from the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission ahead of Tuesday's meeting with the Brussels Group.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has expressed support for a proposal to double funding for the EU naval operation in the Mediterranean.

De Maiziere, as cited by DPA, said that the European Commission had presented a 10-point plan to address the migration crisis during Monday's meeting of EU foreign and interior ministers in Luxembourg.

Bulgaria has the potential to become an "engine" for positive change in Southeastern Europe as regards the plans of the European Commission for the Single Digital Market, according to President Rosen Plevneliev.

By Paul Tugwell & Rebecca Christie

Greece and its creditors remained at loggerheads with time running out to unlock aid in exchange for economic reforms and avert a default.

BELGRADE - Serbia is a democratic and free country, and anyone seeking asylum in Belgium on those grounds will not get it, Belgium's State Secretary for Asylum and Immigration Theo Francken said on Monday.

Minister for European Funds Marius Nica is paying on Monday his first working visit to Brussels, in the context of the priorities set for the next period, the relevant Ministry informed in a release.

Photo credit: (c) Simion MECHNO / AGERPRES PHOTO

BELGRADE - Belgrade will host the Capital Summit 2015 from April 22 to 24, during which mayors of 13 cities of central and southeast Europe will discuss major infrastructure projects and ways to improve the quality of life in capitals.

Joining the eurozone could be Romania's next major country project, the aim after this move being for the Romanians' living standards to get in line with those of the eurozone citizens, head of the European Commission's Representation to Romania Angela Filote told a press conference.

Photo credit: (c) Angelo BREZOIANU / AGERPRES PHOTO

By Rebecca Christie

Greece needs to show euro-area nations what it could deliver by mid-May to unlock new aid payments and avoid default, the European commissioner in charge of euro matters said.

Global lenders' negotiations with Greece, which have been moving at a crawl recently, have gained some momentum but remained a long way from the finish line, the International Monetary Fund's European head told a German newspaper.