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Friday, 06 July 2018

Tsipras-Erdogan meeting at NATO summit expected to touch on fate of 2 Greek servicemen; Ankara links issue with asylum seekers

A meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and recently re-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO summit next week is increasingly viewed as crucial…

Copelouzos group partnership with China Energy Investment for PPC lignite-fuelled power production

By K. Deligiannis [email protected] The Copelouzos group on Thursday announced a partnership deal with Chinese multinational  China Energy Investment Corp. to vie for the Public Power Corp.’s up-for-sale lignite-fired production.…

Thursday, 05 July 2018

Public Debt Management Agency says recent measures ensure mid-term sustainability

Greece’s Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) assessed that recent debt relief measures extended by Eurozone creditors last month ensure the medium-term sustainability of the country’s external debt. The PDMA divided…

State arrears to private sector at 2.974 bln€ in May 2018, down 390 mln€ euros from previous month

The state’s arrears to the private sector – including outstanding tax refunds to taxpayers – reached 2.974 billion euros at the end of May, down 390 million euros (3.364 billion…

Ex-SYRIZA minister on 2015 referendum anniversary: Govt was ready to print drachmas after ‘no’ vote

One of the more prominent Cabinet members of the first Tsipras government in 2015 on Thursday – the third anniversary of a contentious referendum over what was billed as creditors’…

Greek FinMin: Eurogroup decision ‘opens path’ for Greek debt for at least 15 years

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos played up the benefits for Greece from last month’s Eurogroup decision to extend medium-term debt relief to the country, emphasizing in Parliament that the deal…

Commission to decide this month on details of Greece’s post-bailout supervision until 2022

By E. Sakellari [email protected] The European Commission will announce details for Greece’s post-memorandum supervision on July 11, as the former will assume the role of chief auditor of institutional creditors…

Prespes agreement approved for a second time by fYRoM legislature

A majority of Parliament deputies in the neighboring former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM) on Thursday again approved a bilateral agreement with Greece to resolve the long-standing “name issue”, with…

SETE Intelligence: Tourist arrivals by vehicle to Greece in 2017 comprise 30% of total

Tourists arriving by car or coach in Greece in 2017 significantly increased in 2017, a SETE Intelligence study noted this week. Specifically, the number of travelers that arrived by vehicle…

Third Turkish officer granted political asylum in Greece

A third Turkish military officer that fled to Greece in the wake of an unsuccessful July 2016 coup in the neighboring country was granted political asylum, with a relevant decision…

Wednesday, 04 July 2018

Merkel on refugee crisis deal with Greece; Die Welt links agreement with VAT hike postponement

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday referred to an closely watched agreement between Berlin and Athens dealing with the refugee crisis, saying her government will attempt to sign similar agreements…

Tsakalotos to Reuters: Long-term fiscal targets ‘may need to be reviewed’; Greece can now finance itself from markets

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos was quoted by Reuters on Wednesday as saying that long-term fiscal targets that his government has agreed to – especially an annual 2.2-percent primary budget…

IOBE study: Use of ‘plastic’ rather than cash ups VAT collection in Greece by 50% in 2017

The skyrocketing use of debit and credit cards in Greece – especially in the wake of imposed capital controls in June 2015 – has dramatically improved tax collection, increasing annual…

Chinese national arrested in Greece on int’l warrat for online investment scam

A 41-year-old Chinese national was arrested on Tuesday in Athens on an international arrest warrant issued by PRC authorities for allegedly running an online platform bilking money from unsuspecting investors…

BMS United expands physical supply chain in Turkey

ΒMS United on Wednesday announced an exclusive deal with Turkey’s Port of Canakkale that expands the former’s presence as a physical supplier in the neighboring country. BMS United, a leading…

Regling to Handelsblatt: Varoufakis era cost Greeks billions

ESM Managing Director Klaus Regling underlined what he called the progress recorded by Greece in applying “extensive and often painful” reforms, in an interview carried by the German financial daily…

PDMA: Yield on 26-week Greek T-bills reaches 0.85%

During an auction of 1.250 billion euros of Greek 26W T-Bills conducted on Wednesday, total bids reached 1.729 billion euros (oversubscribed by1.38 times), with the amount finally accepted being 1.625…

Privatization agency declares tender for Kythnos’ Xenia Hotel incomplete

The board of directors of Greece’s privatization agency (HRADF) declared a tender for the property “Xenia Hotel of Kythnos Thermal Spring” as incomplete, due to overdue expression of interest. The…

Greek market watchdog awaits Folli Follie’s answers by Friday

By I. Zafolia [email protected]  The Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), Greece’s market watchdog, is reportedly ready request that charges of manipulating investors and regulatory authorities through the dissemination of misleading…

BMS United’s participation at 2018 Posidonia highlighted with 2-day event

A BMS United event, in cooperation with the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), took place at the end of May at the Benaki Museum, on the occasion of the 2018…

Greek DM: fYRoM will join ΝΑΤΟ only when Prespes deal ratified; Athens agrees

Controversial Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos told deputies in Parliament on Wednesday that the neighboring former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM) will receive an invitation to join the NATO alliance…

Top ND cadre: Moscovici offering support to Greek govt that ‘cannot be saved’

Fallout from Tuesday’s whirlwind visit to Athens by EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, mostly emanating from the opposition side, continued on Wednesday, with a main opposition vice-president charging that the French…

21 fines imposed on collection agencies in first half of 2018

A development ministry-affiliated commerce and consumer protection general secretariat imposed 21 fines – totalling 160,500 euros – against collection agencies in Greece in just the first half of 2018, it…

Centeno to ‘N’: ‘Enhanced surveillance’ of Greek finances, economy ensures credibility with EZ partners, markets

By Vassilis Kostoulas [email protected] Eurogroup President Mario Centeno more-or-less dampened expectations over any “discounts” in agreed-to reforms and austerity measures to be imposed in Greece next year, commenting more than…

Tuesday, 03 July 2018

Ministry releases list of banks, investment funds whose reps met with Alt. FinMin in London last month

The finance ministry on Wednesday provided a list of banks and investment funds whose representatives met late last week with Greek Alternate Finance Minister Giorgos Chouliarakis in London, within the…

Hel.Pe-Total-Exxon Mobil consortium awarded concession for hydrocarbon exploration off Crete

A consortium comprised of partially state-owned Hellenic Petroleum (Hel.Pe), Total and Exxon Mobil has been awarded a concession to begin hydrocarbon exploration in sea blocks west and southwest of Crete,…

Privatization fund declares Trainose as preferred investor for acquisition of rolling stock maintenance firm

Greece’s privatization fund, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), on Tuesday announced that  its board of directors accepted an improved financial offer for the sale of a 100-percent stake…

Privatization fund disqualifies 3 investment schemes from second phase of HELPE tender

The board of Greece’s privatization fund on Tuesday voted to disqualify three investment schemes that it said did not meet criteria in order to participate in the second phase of…

Moscovici in Athens: Post-bailout supervision not a ‘fourth memorandum’; commitments must be kept

Commitments must be met, but are not inflexible, EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said during his whirlwind visit to Athens on Tuesday, in reference to the political “hot potato” entailed with…

Nearly 18K asylum seekers, would-be migrants on eastern Aegean isles

The number of third country asylum seekers (Mideast war refugees and would-be migrants) on Greece’s eastern Aegean islands hosted in shelters and “hotspots” numbered 17,771 as of July 3, 2018.…