The visit of the Greek Prime Minister to Russia on Wednesday and Thursday, despite being a cause for numerous speculations, should not include the announcement of an alliance between Athens and Moscow, despite the common interests in various areas.
The visit takes place when the Greek government keeps decisive negotiations with the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the country’s creditors them, and the real prospect of closer relations between the two countries remain limited, said the news agency AFP.
Athens has noted that the Greek crisis should “be resolved within the framework of the European family (…) and the EU” and that “relations with countries outside the EU in a totally different plan “as defined the Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis in an interview published today in the business daily Naftemboriki.
The Greek official stressed that Greece does not seek financial assistance outside the European framework it belongs to, but like the other Member States promotes bilateral relations with third countries.
According to his office, the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to discuss “economic and trade cooperation on investment, energy, tourism and culture.”
The crisis in Ukraine and the application of sanctions to Moscow deteriorated relations with the EU and reduced official visits to the Kremlin, and when Greece is among the European countries that opposes sanctions.
Perhaps for this reason, and to demonstrate the “autonomy” of the new executive, the head of diplomacy Greek Nikos Kotzias, made a point to visit Moscow less than three weeks after the left party Syriza radical victory in the January 25 elections, while Tsipras will be one of the few European leaders present in May in the celebrations organized by the Kremlin for 70th anniversary of . Allied victory in World War II
In addition to the games of alliances and important geostrategic position occupied by Greece during this two-day visit to Moscow very specific questions will be addressed: the price of gas , the prospect of extension in Greece gas pipeline project “Turkish Stream” between Russia and Turkey, the Greek embargo agricultural products, Russian investments in Greece, particularly in the operation of underwater oil reserves and the fate of TRAINOSE company, operator of the railway, iron Greeks services.
Several EU officials have already decided however safeguard the movement of Tsipras and sent new messages Athens.
So, the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, considered the end-week the newspaper Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung that Tsipras “should not displeasing to its European partners”, at the risk of breaking the unanimity of the EU towards Russia.
In this balance game The Greek Government is still involved in difficult negotiations with its international creditors for the payment of a vital installment of the loan that avoids the risk of bankruptcy in the short term.
In this scenario, the German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel, preferred to minimize the geopolitical uncertainty in an interview with Rheinische Post:. “I can not imagine anyone in Athens is willing to turn its back on Europe to launch in the arms of Russia”
Digital Diary with Lusa
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