Alexis Tsipras to Moscow – Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet

Tsipras and the Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss energy issues, investment and trade. The Greek Prime Minister is also expected to ask his host to make an exception for Greek fruits and vegetables in the Russian import ban on food products from the EU.

When the EU last year imposed economic sanctions against Russia for the Russians annexed the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine, so reciprocated the Russian government to ban virtually all imports of food from the EU.

Last week said Tsipras to the Russian news agency Tass that the mutual sanctions between Russia and the EU had seriously damaged the Greek economy.

Putin expected for their part in Wednesday’s meeting offer Alexis Tsipras discount on Russian gas. The gas is Russia’s best chips, and that Moscow was trying to drive a wedge between different EU countries by providing them with different conditions in bilateral gas contracts is one of Vladimir Putin’s parade branches.

Greek Government flirting with Russia both embarrassing and upsetting the other EU countries, which outwardly want to show a united front against Russia because of Ukraine crisis. Prior Tsipras Russia Travel tried both Germany and France waving away the hype about too affectionate ties between Moscow and Athens.

“European countries can visit Moscow without implying a problem for Europe,” said President Francois Hollande during a visit in Berlin last week.

“We have already been to Moscow, and we are still members of the EU,” replied his colleague, Angela Merkel.

contrast, it would is a great shame for the EU, primarily the euro countries on Tsipras would agree with Putin on major pengalån.

Greece must repay € 450 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before Thursday, and the concern has been that there will not be enough cash in the Greek insurance funds until then.

Earlier this week s ade the Greek Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis that if Greece is forced to choose between paying back to The IMF or pay salaries and pensions to the Greeks, he will choose the latter. Speculation that Greece will default on its loan payments – thus in theory go bankrupt and thus having to leave the eurozone – immediately put new momentum.

But since then, the Finance Ministry in Athens assured that the IMF will get their money, and that Greece at a meeting later this month will agree with the other euro countries on a new payment plan for the emergency loan of over EUR 240 billion by Greece in total have been given by the trio EU, IMF and European Central Bank.

Russian Ambassador to Athens said while Monday that it will take on a loan application from Greece if it would show up during Tsipras visit to Moscow.