Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Greece could ease some restrictions and reopen shops and other parts of its economy next week after a nationwide lockdown helped contain a surge in Covid-19 infections, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is the most popular political leader in Greece (46 pct), despite a slight decline in his popularity, while the majority (57 pct) of people want the government to complete its term, according to a nationwide poll conducted by Prorata and published on Wednesday.

Manfred Weber, leader of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, has backed the proposal put forward by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday for the introduction of a coronavirus vaccination certificate that would ease travel between member-states in the bloc.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday rejected reports that he may call elections in 2021, saying that his government intends to complete its four-year term.

"No, 2021 will not be an election year. The government enjoys a comfortable parliamentary majority," he told Greek television channel ANT1.

European Union leaders will be discussing a proposal at the next European Council for a coronavirus "vaccination certificate" that would help ease travel among member-states, as put forward by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Development Ministry is set to recommend to the prime minister that retailers be allowed to restart the click-and-collect system as of next Monday, January 18, in the same way it had operated in December, Kathimerini understands.

The new, 61st round of exploratory talks between Athens and Ankara over territorial claims in the Mediterranean Sea will start on January 25 in Istanbul, Greece's Foreign Ministry announced on Monday evening.

Greece hopes that its exploratory talks with Turkey will restart from where they left off in March 2016, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday.

As the lockdown was extended for another week Friday, government spokesman Christos Tarantilis announced that Parliament will next Friday serve as the stage where the government and main opposition SYRIZA will cross swords regarding the management of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is planning to call a meeting of the country's political leaders next Friday to discuss the way forward in the management of the health crisis, government spokesman Christos Tarantilis said on Friday.