Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Greece on Friday for a two- day working visit which both sides have welcomed as another step in the enhancement of bilateral collaboration in several sectors.
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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has said Russian Federation might be forced to respond to USA moves in Europe, warning that Washington’s missile shield was a direct threat to his country’s security.
Tsipras’ comments come just weeks before the European Union is expected to renew the sanctions, imposed after Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014.
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. “Such a situation has been prompted by a critical global attitude toward your great power”, Pavlopoulos said addressing Putin.
EU-Russia relations are at a low ebb over the conflict in Ukraine that broke out in 2014, with European sanctions still in force against Moscow.
In his first visit to Greece after a decade following a meeting with his Greek counterpart Prokopis Pavlopoulos at the Presidential mansion, Putin was scheduled to hold talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Greek officials said that the prospect of increased trade with Russian Federation could play a part in the country’s recovery efforts, as Greece remains in recession despite far-reaching austerity measures.
“NATO fends us off with vague statements that this is no threat to Russian Federation …”
Earlier this month the United States and Russian Federation accused each other of mounting an aggressive military presence in northern Europe, with Moscow vowing to “end threats” posed by a USA missile shield near its border.
Russian Federation is one of Greece’s main trading partners, but business has been hit by the sanctions and a drop in commodity prices.
“Improving relations with Russian Federation on multiple levels is a strategic choice”, Tsipras said.
On Saturday Putin will depart for Thessaloniki, where he will meet Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has traveled to Greece to visit a secluded Christian Orthodox monastic sa.
Mr Putin is joining celebrations at the monastery of St Panteleimon to mark 1,000 years of Russian monks at Mount Athos.
Some 2,500 police were providing security for Putin’s visit in Athens, and much of the city center was blocked to motorists and public transport.
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Though back then, United States officials insisted the program was aimed at Iran, it has always been designed right along Russian territory, and much of it outside Iran’s best missiles’ range.
