Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-06-09 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Greece's President Pavlopoulos received by German counterpart in Berlin [02] PM Tsipras and head of Germany DGB trade union group meet in Athens --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Greece's President Pavlopoulos received by German counterpart in Berlin President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos and his spouse Vlasia were on Friday received by Germany's Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife at the presidential palace in Berlin. The Greek presidential couple signed the visitors' book and thanked Steinmeier for his official invitation. The Greek and German presidents then had a private meeting while taking a walk around the gardens surrounding the Bellevue Palace, the official presidential residence. Accompanying the Greek president during his official visit to Germany is Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou. Pavlopoulos is paying a two-day official visit to Germany on Friday and Saturday following German President Frank Walter Steinmeier's invitation. See also: President Pavlopoulos: Schaeuble must meet his commitments [02] PM Tsipras and head of Germany DGB trade union group meet in Athens Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday had a meeting with Reiner Hoffman, the head of the German trade union confederation DGB, at the Maximos Mansion in Athens. According to a press release from the prime minister's press office, their meeting focused on an apparent upturn of Greece's economy, labour rights, restoring collective labour bargaining and the importance of policies boosting growth and employment. Tsipras highlighted the importance of restoring collective bargaining, not just for workers in Greece but within the European social model as a whole. Hoffman noted the efforts and progress made by Greece and the government in the last two years, while agreeing on the need to reinforce the EU's social pillar and to adopt ambitious initiatives for boosting growth on a European level.