Konstantinos Koutras

Newly appointed Archbishop Elpidophoros of America pledged to bring closer "the many Orthodox communities that live in isolation from one another" and to fully serve his flock in the United States.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office on Friday announced the return of a fragment of an ancient marble sarcophagus fragment to Greece.
As part of a continuing investigation with partners in international law enforcement, the DA’s office went into a gallery in Midtown Manhattan with a search warrant and seized the fragment, which was on display as a centerpiece.

The Greek Foreign Ministry responded to a statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding the new procedures for hydrocarbon exploration permits.

Greece’s place in Europe and the management of the refugee crisis should not be used for domestic political confrontations, foreign ministry spokesman Konstantinos Koutras told journalists on Tuesday responding to a question on the critical comments made against Greece by the leaders of Slovakia’s political parties during a TV debate.

In an effort to defuse tension that caused the removal of Greece’s ambassador from Prague, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek invited his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias to visit the Czech capital as soon as possible.

The Foreign Ministry of Greece has recalled the Greek ambassador from Prague as a result of insulting comments made by Czech President Milos Zeman. The Czech President told the TASR Slovak news agency on Friday, December 18, that his country would apply for euro entry after a Grexit.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Konstantinos Koutras responded to journalists’ questions on the latest developments on the European level in the refugee/migration crisis:

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that the best way to limit the refugee flow is to expulse Greece from the Schengen Area, according to Slovak media.

Mr. Fico claimed that Greece has no place in the Schengen Area and everyone is convinced about that. Asked, however, on whether this is discussed officially, he responded negatively.

The Greek government raised the issue of the alleged monitoring of its embassy in Berlin by German intelligence services after reports in German weekly Der Spiegel referred to surveillance of the Greek embassy among others.

The Turkish government has again raised the issue of the sea borders in the Aegean, disputing the current status in the Aegean, via a statement released by its foreign ministry representative.