President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias on Thursday received the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Anne Brasseur, who was accompanied by Dora Bakoyannis, the head of the PACE Political Affairs and Democracy Committee and chief of the Greek delegation at PACE.
Papoulias referred to the historic ties between Greece and the Council of Europe, as well as the close relations between Greece and Brasseur’s native country Luxembourg within the European Union.

“There have been many and dear friends to Greece – most recently Mr. Juncker, to whom we wish every success in his efforts,” he added.

This meeting was followed by another one between Papoulias and visiting Cypriot Defence Minister Christoforos Fokaides, who was accompanied by Alternate Defence Minister Fofi Gennimata.
“We have had a tough time here and in Cyprus, we are still having a tough time, but we have an obligation to lay the ground for a better future, to turn over the page of the past and build with new tools a more hopeful future for new generations, in conditions of growth, employment and social cohesion. And governments have the primary responsibility for opening this road,” the Cypriot minister said.

He briefed Papoulias on the negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem and the uncompromising stance adopted by Turkey, as well as the prospects opening up with the discovery of hydrocarbons in the region.