Greece

Greek economy shows resilience in first quarter amid pandemic

Greece's economy expanded in January-to-March 2020 at a faster pace compared to last year's fourth quarter, helped by investments, the country's statistics service (ELSTAT) said on Friday. Seasonally adjusted data…

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Greece rolls out COVID vaccines in migrant camps

Asylum-seekers in Greece lined up to get their coronavirus shots on Thursday as authorities began rolling out vaccinations in migrant camps. The government, which began vaccinating the general public in…

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Spirited Greece hold top ranked Belgium to a 1-1 draw

A spirited Greece fought back to hold top ranked Belgium to a 1-1 draw in their friendly international in Brussels on Thursday as Georgios Tzavellas’ second half goal cancelled out…

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IMF sees Greek economy growing 3.3% in 2021, boosted by EU funds, tourism

The Greek economy should grow by 3.3% this year and 5.4% in 2022, fuelled by European recovery fund investment, pent-up consumer demand and an expected return of tourism, International Monetary…

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EU backs 800 million euro Greek scheme to help tourism industry through pandemic

The European Commission has approved an 800 million euro scheme by Greece, designed to support tourism companies which have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. “They (the companies) have…

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Gas pipeline link between Bulgaria and Greece delayed until June 2022

A gas pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria aimed at helping Sofia wean off Russian gas has hit another delay and will not become operational until June 2022, the head of…

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Main front of forest fire near Athens under control

Hundreds of Greek firefighters battled a forest fire near Athens for a third day on Saturday, but brought the main front of the blaze under control as weather conditions improved.…

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Greek current account gap widens in March, tourism revenue falls

Greece's current account deficit widened in March compared to the same month in 2020, with the gap reaching 1.462 billion euros from 1.119 billion euros a year earlier, the central…

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Greece evacuates villages as forest fire rages in Corinth region

Authorities in the Corinth region of southern Greece have moved people from six villages to safety as fire fighters battled a forest fire with scores of trucks and 21 aircraft,…

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Greece hopes refurbished airports become ‘bridges’ for freer post-COVID summer

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said more than a dozen Greek airports renovated by a German-led consortium could serve as "bridges" for a summer of greater freedom after months of lockdown…

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Greece pledges extra 400 million euros help tourism industry

Greece will help its key tourist industry with an additional financial package worth more than 400 million euros ($486 million), the country's finance minister said on Monday. The country, which…

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‘Restrained optimism’ for Greek tourism recovery – industry body

The head of Greece's tourism confederation SETE expressed "restrained optimism" on Friday for a recovery in the industry this year after the hammering from the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasting revenues could…

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Greece woos foreign tourists ahead of reopening

Greece kicked off the formal start of its tourist season, announcing a multimillion euro promotional campaign on Thursday aimed at saving its most important economic sector from a second summer…

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Greece to get first tranche of EU recovery funds in third quarter

Greece will receive a first tranche of European Union recovery funds in this year's third quarter, the country's finance minister said on Thursday. "Our expectation is that the first disbursement,…

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Greek tourism minister hopeful of joining Britain’s ‘green list’

ATHENS (Reuters) -Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said on Wednesday he was hopeful Britain would include Greece on its "green list" of quarantine-free holiday destinations when the list is reviewed…

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Greece reopens beaches after lockdown hoping to lure back tourists

With widely spaced sun loungers and regular disinfections, Greece reopened its organised beaches on Saturday as the popular Mediterranean holiday destination eases COVID-19 curbs in preparation for the return of…

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Greece tiptoes to the official start of the tourism season

Museums in Greece will reopen to visitors next week, a day before the official start of the tourism season on May 15, authorities announced. Venues such as Athens' Acropolis museum,…

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€84 million for urban wastewater treatment plant in Marathon, Greece

The Commission has approved an investment of €84 million from the Cohesion Fund for the construction of a new infrastructure for sewage collection and treatment in Marathon, in the Attica region of…

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Greece, looking to tourist season, makes islands vaccination priority

Greece, which will open its tourist season on May 15, is prioritizing the COVID-19 vaccination of residents of its islands, authorities said. The country has hundreds of inhabited islands and…

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UPDATED: Greece cuts business tax to help pandemic recovery

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced new tax measures on Thursday to help the economy recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, cutting the basic business tax rate by…

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Europe’s police crack down on cross-border crime groups

More than 200 people were arrested last week in 17 European countries in a coordinated crackdown on cross-border movements of stolen goods, illegal drugs and cash, the European police agency…

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Greece aims to reopen restaurants next month

Greece aims to reopen restaurants early next month, state minister George Gerapetritis said on Wednesday, as the country is desperate for more economic sectors to resume operations ahead of its…

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Israel and Greece sign record defence deal

Israel and Greece have signed their biggest ever defence procurement deal, which Israel said on Sunday would strengthen political and economic ties between the countries. The agreement includes a $1.65…

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Greece says resolving differences with Turkey may be hard, but not impossible

Greece cannot ignore its differences with Turkey over territorial disputes in the Mediterranean and other issues but while a solution is difficult, it is not impossible, its foreign minister told…

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Turkey says all issues with Greece to be discussed in meeting on Thursday

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he will discuss all disagreements between Turkey and Greece in a meeting with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Ankara on Thursday and that…

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Greece orders COVID self-testing for service workers

Greece will make self-testing for COVID-19 compulsory for service workers in sectors including shops, restaurants and transport, authorities said, as the government looks to gradually reopen the economy. Greece, which…

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Greek PM says agrees to talks with Libya on maritime zones

Greece and Libya have agreed to hold talks on marking out their maritime zones in the Mediterranean, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, after a meeting with the president of…

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Greece to lift quarantine rule for more travelers from next week

Greece plans to lift quarantine restrictions from next week for travelers from the European Union and five other countries who have been vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19, a senior…

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Greek Journalist’s murder linked to organised crime – Minister

Ekathimerni - Journalist Giorgos Karaivaz, who was gunned down outside his home in southern Athens on Friday, took a total of 10 bullets to his body, according to the results…

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Greece to open high schools despite a increasing number of daily new cases

Greece will open high schools next week despite a record number of daily new cases recently, officials said, as the government began mass distribution of home-testing kits it hopes will…

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Greece restores diplomatic relations with Libya

ATHENS, April 5 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reopened Greece's embassy in Libya on Tuesday, urging a reset of relations soured by the Tripoli government's 2019 maritime boundary agreement…

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Greece pledges more support for businesses as shops reopen

Greece will provide more financial aid to businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions in April, the finance minister said on Monday, as shops reopened despite surging case numbers that have put…

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Greece records highest number of deaths in 2021

Greek health authorities have reported 78 deaths linked to the coronavirus – the highest daily number recorded so far this year. A further 1,955 cases were also registered in the…

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Greece extends restrictions on international flights to April 19

Greece said on Sunday it was extending restrictions on domestic flights until April 12 and on international flights until April 19 as the number of new COVID-19 infections continues to…

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Greece accuses Turkey of trying to provoke it with migrant boats

Greece accused Turkey on Friday of trying to provoke it by attempting to push boats carrying migrants into Greek waters. Greece and Turkey disagree on a range of issues, including…

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Shops to reopen in Greece as some curbs eased to relieve pandemic fatigue

Greece will ease some COVID-19 lockdown curbs to relieve peoples’ fatigue with protracted restrictions, allowing small retail shops to reopen, authorities said as the surge of COVID-19 infections continues. “We…

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EU-funded recovery plan to usher new version of Greece, PM Mitsotakis says

Greece's European Union-funded 32 billion-euro recovery plan will mobilise additional private-sector money for investments in green energy, digitalisation, health and education, boosting growth and jobs, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said…

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UPDATED: Greece orders private sector doctors to assist against COVID-19

Greece has ordered private sector doctors in the broader Athens region to assist its public health system to fight a rise in new COVID-19 infections, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said…

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Greece to hand out self-testing kits as COVID-19 cases stay high

Greece will start distributing free do-it-yourself COVID-19 tests next month, the government said, as it seeks to alleviate pressure on a healthcare system facing a stubbornly high level of new…

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Europe’s south calls for more solidarity in new EU migration pact

Mediterranean countries on the frontline of Europe's migration crisis called for more solidarity from EU governments on Saturday and said a proposed overhaul of migration rules did not go far…

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Greek archaeologists unearth bronze bull idol in ancient Olympia

Greek archaeologists have unearthed by chance a more than 2,500-year-old bronze bull idol at the archaeological site of Olympia, the culture ministry said on Friday. An observant archaeologist came across…

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Greece mulls lifting some COVID restrictions

Greek authorities are considering lifting some COVID-19 restrictions as part of a plan for gradually re-opening a fragile economy, a minister said on Friday, even as hospitals remain under pressure…

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Greece, Turkey resume preliminary talks on maritime dispute

ATHENS, March 16 (Reuters) - Greece and Turkey began another round of exploratory talks in Athens on Tuesday, seeking common ground on a long-standing maritime boundaries dispute before a European…

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Photo Story: Violent clashes in the streets of Athens

Demonstrators clash with riot policemen in Nea Smyrni, south district of Athens, Greece on Tuesday evening. The protest was organized as a result of a footage that was shared widely…

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Israel, Cyprus and Greece agree to link power grids via subsea cable

Cyprus, Greece and Israel on Monday signed an initial agreement to build the world's longest and deepest underwater power cable that will traverse the Mediterranean seabed at a cost of…

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Greece, Portugal and Spain follow Cyprus and invite vaccinated British to their countries

Daily Star reports that Portugal and Spanish islands are set to welcome back British tourists from the middle of May. Rita Marques, Portugal’s tourism minister, said the hope is that…

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6.2 Earthquake strikes Greece – UPDATE

ATHENS (Reuters) - A strong earthquake rocked central Greece on Thursday, although there were no immediate reports of casualties, a day after another powerful tremor hit the same area. The…

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Photo Story: The aftermath of Wednesday’s earthquake in Greece

Photos of the aftermath in Greece after a strong earthquake that shook the wider region of Thessaly, central Greece, on Wednesday 03 March 2021. A strong quake that shook the…

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Greece extends lockdown, tightens restrictions

Greece has extended a lockdown and tightened restrictions in more areas of the country to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic after a surge in new infections piled pressure…

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UPDATE: Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 strikes Greece

An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck central Greece on Wednesday, sending people rushing from their houses but drawing no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage. The European Mediterranean Seismological…

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COVID-19 pandemic in Greece showing no signs of waning

Greece extended lockdown restrictions on Friday to more areas of the country as the COVID-19 pandemic showed no signs of waning exactly one year after its first coronavirus infection was…

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Greece says Britons welcome to holiday with or without vaccine

Greece is ready to welcome British tourists this summer regardless of whether they have had a coronavirus vaccine, Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis was quoted as saying on Thursday. Greece, which…

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Turkey says Greek jets harassed research vessel over Aegean Sea

Turkey said that four Greek jets harassed a Turkish research vessel in the Aegean Sea but Athens denied the accusation, which comes as the two NATO members seek to resume…

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Greece wants quick EU action on vaccine passports

Greece is calling on EU authorities to "move more quickly" and embrace vaccine certificates, which could restore an element of mass travel in Europe. Speaking to the Financial Times, the…

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Greek current account deficit widens as COVID crushes tourism

Greece's current account gap widened sharply last year as the coronavirus pandemic cut revenues in the vital tourism sector by more than three quarters, data from the Bank of Greece…

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Montenegro and Greece reach Tokyo 2020 after making final of men’s Olympic water polo qualification tournament

Montenegro and Greece qualified for the men’s water polo tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after defeating Croatia and Russia in the semi-finals of the qualification competition in the…

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Greece extends lockdown to more areas to stem spread of pandemic

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Friday extended lockdown restrictions to more areas of the country to stem the spread of COVID-19 infections but lifted it in others where infections receded,…

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