Multi-speed Europe

Greece is optimistic about reaching a deal on economic reforms with its euro zone peers early next week, unblocking urgently needed funding, its economy minister said on Thursday.

By Jan Strupczewski & George Georgiopoulos

Greece failed in a bid on Wednesday to secure a quick cash payment from the euro zone rescue fund to help stave off potential bankruptcy next month, raising pressure on Athens to deliver a convincing reform programme within days.

On the first day of the visit to the US, Rumyana Bachvarova, Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, and senior representatives of US law enforcement authorities signed an agreement in the sphere of border security.

"The current visa regime toward Kosovo is cynical injustice, which should come to and sooner than later, because it does not only offend the dignity of Kosovo's people but also the dignity of Europe," Rama said on Monday.

"Keeping Kosovo under the current visa regime is a shame for Europe," he added.

Greece and its eurozone partners should be able to come to a deal on the country's funding needs because everyone wants it to stay in the currency area, the head of the monetary union's bailout fund said in an interview with Le Monde published on Monday.

The German government remains committed to keeping Greece within the eurozone, a spokesman said on Monday, after Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said last week that he could not rule out an accidental exit of the country from the eurozone.

By Tasos Telloglou

A recent letter sent by Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis to the Eurogroup included a provision that Athens foresees the collection of some 500 million euros per year in revenues from taxing online gambling. One wonders how he came to that amount.

The Cyprus example may be the best choice for Greece in order for the Greek government to be forced to implement reforms. This is a view sponsored by German magazine Der Spiegel, calling upon information from German chancellery officials.

More than half of Germans believe debt-stricken Greece should leave the eurozone, according to a poll published on Friday amid a flaring war of words between Athens and Berlin.

And 80 percent believed Greece is not acting in a reliable manner in its negotiations with eurozone partners, according to a Politbarometer survey released by public broadcaster ZDF.

Iceland withdraws EU membership candidature

REYKJAVIK -- Iceland's authorities announced late on Thursday that the country's bid to join the EU as a member had been withdrawn.

The decision was made two years after a eurosceptic coalition came to power, promising it would end Iceland's European integrations process.