Dimitris

Greece sent draft proposals to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) for settling a decades-old name dispute, drawing a cautiously positive response from Skopje two days before their foreign ministers meet.

They have agreed to step up UN-brokered negotiations this year to resolve the dispute, which has undermined Skopje's hopes of joining NATO and the European Union.

Greece's ambassador to Turkey on Tuesday is said to have refuted a report earlier in the day suggesting that two Greek soldiers being held in a prison in Edirne since March 1 had appeared before a court in the Turkish city.

Officials close to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras have rebuffed media reports suggesting that he met with a senior representative of the Swiss drugs firm Novartis, which is embroiled in allegations of paying bribes to Greek politicians.

Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos on Thursday refuted a comment made earlier in the day by a lawmaker with Independent Greeks (ANEL), the junior coalition partner in the leftist-led government, suggesting "friendly relations" between the administration and Greek-Russian business tycoon Ivan Savvidis.

European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos filed a fresh request with Greece's Supreme Court to reveal the names of the witnesses claiming that the former minister and another nine political officials received bribes from a Swiss drug firm.

Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said on Friday that German judicial authorities have relayed evidence to their counterparts in Greece suggesting that Greek state officials received bribes from rail firm Deutsche Bahn to influence contract decisions related to construction work at the Athens metro between 2003 and 2007. 

Six new members of the cabinet were sworn in at the Presidential Mansion on Thursday after a mini-reshuffle that was prompted by the resignation of two ministers earlier this week.

Ioannis Dragasakis, formerly the deputy prime minister, was sworn in as economy minister, taking over from Dimitris Papadimitriou, who resigned on Tuesday.

Another three members of the SYRIZA-led government requested state rent subsidies, Skai has reported following the resignation of Alternate Social Solidarity Minister Rania Antonopoulou in a benefit row and that of her husband, Economy Minister Dimitris Papadimitriou.

Hours after Parliament voted to investigate politicians, including former prime ministers, over allegations of bribery by the Swiss drugmaker Novartis, European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, who was Greek health minister from 2006 to 2009, on Thursday accused the SYRIZA-led government of engineering a politically-motivated campaign to smear the reputation of its rivals.

Greece's parliament voted early on Thursday following a marathon 20-hour session to investigate 10 senior politicians, including two former prime ministers, over allegations they were involved in a pharmaceutical bribery scandal.