Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-05-22 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] President Macron to PM Tsipras: Agreement on Greek debt relief [02] BSEC can assist to the easing of our differences, President Pavlopoulos says [03] Digital Policy Min Pappas optimistic over an agreement at Eurogroup [04] FM Kotzias participates in 2nd Conference on Security and Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean [05] 113 migrants and refugees arrived on Chios and Samos in the last 48h --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] President Macron to PM Tsipras: Agreement on Greek debt relief French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reiterated to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that he wants an agreement on the relief of the Greek debt, the Élysée Palace announced. [02] BSEC can assist to the easing of our differences, President Pavlopoulos says Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos stressed the importance of turning each country's different features into positive energy for meeting the common targets in the framework of 25th Anniversary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the BSEC Member States. As he said, Greece strongly believes that "the strengthening of the BSEC must also contribute to the easing of the differences between us." Pavlopoulos added that Greece also considers that the cooperation of BSEC countries will also help the improvement of the Greek-Turkish relations. "We must not allow petty things turn into bigger ones," Pavlopoulos underlined. At the same time, the Greek President conveyed a "strong message of Greece's timeless support to the work of BSEC." Moreover, Pavlopoulos stated that the dangerous adventures of the global economy and of peace, especially in our wider region, demonstrate how timely the bases on which the BSEC Founding Declaration and the subsequent Bosphorus Declaration were based. [03] Digital Policy Min Pappas optimistic over an agreement at Eurogroup Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas expressed his certainty that there will be a comprehensive agreement including the Greek debt on Monday's Eurogroup. Pappas, who was speaking at ANT1 TV, stressed that the government is proud because it managed to stop the country's destruction course. He underlined that the country's financing needs will be cut over the next years as well as the questions whether Greece will manage to serve its debt. Pappas said that Greece's demand for positive measures has been made acceptable for the first time adding that the international investors and consumers have started to believe that Greece is turning into a phase of stabilization and recovery. [04] FM Kotzias participates in 2nd Conference on Security and Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean The establishment of an organisation for countries of the Eastern Mediterranean similar to that of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which exists for the countries of Europe, will be proposed by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias at the 2nd Conference on Security and Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, the works of which opened on Monday in Rhodes. At the same time Kotzias, in his statements before the start of the meeting, pointed out that certain proposals for broader co-operation will be discussed. The Foreign Minister welcomed the fact that this year more countries are participating in the conference, namely ten Arab countries and seven European countries, while as an observer he has asked a delegation from Indonesia to attend the meeting. [05] 113 migrants and refugees arrived on Chios and Samos in the last 48h 113 migrants and refugees arrived on the northern Aegean islands in the last 48 hours. 50 of them were recorded on Chios and 63 on Samos while no arrivals were reported on Lesvos. According to police 8,905 persons that have sought for asylum and their request has been not examined yet remained stranded on Monday in the hotspots and other hosting facilities on Lesvos (3,148), Chios (3,918) and Samos (1,839).