Greece vows to maintain close ties with Moscow

Athens vowed to maintain close ties with Moscow as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the Greek capital on Wednesday.

“Your visit comes at a crucial time for stability in the wider region,” Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told Lavrov during a meeting at Maximos Mansion.
“Your presence marks the need to maintain close [bilateral] relations,” he said while praising existing cooperation between Russia and NATO-member Greece in the areas of tourism and investments.

The Greek premier also called for a “sustainable solution” to Cyprus’s division.

During a meeting with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos earlier Wednesday, Lavrov said Moscow would support efforts for a Cyprus deal in line with the UN’s Security Council resolutions.

However, he added, “some [countries] do not want to see a solution of the Cyprus issue.”
He did not name any countries.