Greece

21 Dec 2019; MEMO: Police of the Greek Cypriot administration arrested three Greek Cypriot employees of Israeli firms for alleged espionage, issuing arrest warrants for other three Israelis, according to local media, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to reports by the daily Phileleftheros, the suspects were arrested on Thursday and were brought before a court on Friday.

ATHENS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 41st Meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs was held here on Friday, ending with a call for closer cooperation within the group, with the EU and other organizations to promote economic growth, peace and stability.

Greece, which hands over the rotating six-month chairmanship-in-office to Romania in January 2020, welcomed officials from the 12-member organization for an assessment of work done in recent months and planning for next steps.

ATHENS, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Greece supports Serbia's European perspective, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos told visiting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday.

"We Greeks, Greece, support your (EU) accession process and I stress that this is not only because of our friendship, but because you rise up to meet the requirements of the European structure. We are here ... to help ...so that your steps towards accession will become faster," Pavlopoulos said in a joint statement broadcast on Greek national broadcaster ERT.

ATHENS, Dec 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Greece’s foreign ministry on Friday said it was expelling the Libyan ambassador for failing to disclose the contents of a disputed maritime jurisdiction deal with Turkey that has raised hackles in the region.

“I regret to announce that the Libyan ambassador was summoned to the ministry this morning and was informed of his expulsion,” Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias told reporters, adding that the envoy had been given 72 hours to leave Greece.

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece said on Friday it was expelling the Libyan ambassador, angered at an accord between Libya and Turkey signed on Nov. 27 that maps out a sea boundary between the two countries close to the Greek island of Crete.

Mohamed Younis AB Menfi had 72 hours to leave the country, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias told a news briefing. Dendias called the Turkey-Libyan accord a “blatant violation of international law”.

05 Dec 2019; MEMO: Greece said on Wednesday it opposed an accord reached by Turkey and Libya to define their maritime boundaries, but said it and Ankara – both members of NATO – were committed to talks on confidence-building measures, Reuters reports.

LESBOS ISLAND (Greece), Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Amid the filth around the dismal camp of Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos, a refugee and his son pick up firewood and transport it in a stroller, hoping to resist winter’s chill.

At nightfall, the men put together a new makeshift shelter in the olive grove adjacent to the camp, which has become a slum for thousands.

Illuminated by flashlights, women cook on open fires. Children’s clothes hang to dry on lines stretched between tents and huts.

ATHENS, November 14. /TASS/: Port authorities in the Greek island of Rhodes have detained two Russians, who are suspected of helping migrants come to Greece from Turkey, Russia’s embassy in Athens told TASS on Thursday.

According to the port service in Rhodes, on November 2 two Russian citizens named Malenkov and Belenko were detained near the island’s coast. "They are suspected of transporting illegal migrants to Greece from Turkey," the diplomatic mission said.

ATHENS, Nov 11 (NNN-Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Greece Sunday for a three-day state visit to consolidate traditional friendship and strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

It is the first visit by a Chinese head of state to the European nation in 11 years.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were greeted by senior Greek officials at the airport.

Upon arrival, Xi said Greece boasts long history and glorious culture and has made outstanding contributions to the progress of human civilizations.

ATHENS, Nov 2 (NNN-AMNA) – Greece’s parliament, approved Friday, a bill that would accelerate asylum procedures, as part of its efforts to address its refugee and migrant challenges.

The bill covers accelerating the assessment process of asylum applications, the repatriation of migrants and the social inclusion of refugees, said Citizen Protection Minister, Michalis Chrisochoidis.