Greece

As talks founder with the country?s international creditors, the government is focusing on preparing for a visit to Moscow next week by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a bid to make it a historic meeting, marking a new chapter in Greece?s foreign policy and in bilateral relations.

Coast guard officers on the northern Aegean island of Lesvos expressed concern Tuesday at a spike in the number of undocumented migrants arriving on Greek shores in a rise that senior officials believes is the result of the war in Syria.

Greece and its international lenders have remained at loggerheads over the renewal of financial grants for the country after the EU and the IMF have rejected Athens' reform proposals as "insufficient".

Instead of specific measures, the list contains more "ideas", a Reuters source has said.

By Chryssa Liaggou

Business sentiment and consumer confidence were in decline in March, according to a monthly survey conducted by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) and published on Tuesday.

By Chryssa Liaggou

Energy Minister Panayiotis Lafazanis told a press conference in Athens on Tuesday that his visit to Moscow this week has paved the way for a package agreement between Greece and Russia in the energy sector.

Its main pillar will be Greek support for the so-called Turkish Stream pipeline, which will cross Greek territory.

After several days of talks between representatives of Greece?s government and its creditors in Brussels on a proposed list of economic reforms, eurozone finance ministry officials are to discuss progress and the prospects for a deal during a teleconference call on Wednesday.

The trial of 13 people over the alleged Vatopedi Monastery land swap scandal was on Tuesday adjourned for a second time and is now due to resume on April 21.

The Greek coast guard rescued 51 irregular migrants early on Tuesday after spotting the sailing boat they were traveling in off Cape Tenaro, at the southernmost tip of the Peloponnese.

The migrants were taken to the nearby harbor at Gytheio.

Two of the group were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Alexis Tsipras was informed on the background negotiations and the progress of the Brussels Group meeting by FinMin Yanis Varoufakis and the members of the Greek delegation.

Greece opposes European Union sanctions imposed against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said, denouncing the approach