Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his wife Peristera Batziana were warmly greeted in Moscow, Russia, for a three-day meeting that includes a visit with the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

Tsipras visit to Russia was particularly controversial as it comes a day ahead of Greece’s scheduled payment of a $450 mln loan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The media has speculated as to whether the Russian leader might make an offer of financial help to Greece at a time when the EU is tightening its reins on the cash-strapped country.

Prior to the visit, Tsipras was criticized by factions of the media as being Putin’s “useful idiot” and warned by EU officials to reassess where his loyalties lie. Tsipras has already condemned EU sanctions against Russia as a “road to nowhere”, and one of the first acts of the Greek government hours after taking office was to criticize a routine letter sent on behalf of all countries of the EU, including Greece, calling for Russia to stop its offensive in the Ukraine.

It has been 10 years since a Greek leader visited Moscow in an official capacity, and Tsipras states that the visit is within the prism of “doing what is best for Greece.”

The two leaders are expected to sign various agreements on Wednesday as well as a three-year plan to strengthen economic and commercial ties.

Another area where there may be victory may be on a partial lifting of Moscow’s food embargo on EU imports – that has caused a blow to Greek farmers – that could grant Greece import access to help the Greek agricultural sector. Prior to the ban, Greece had accounted for 40% of Russia’s total strawberry imports and 25% for peaches.

The program of the visit:

Orthodox Holy Wednesday, April 8, 2015

• 10:00 Wreath-laying at the monument of the Unknown Soldier.
• 13:00 Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• 14:00 Tsipras-Putin working lunch.
• 15:15 Document-signing
• 15:30 Tsipras-Putin joint press conference.
• 18:30 Tsipras meets heads of Greek groups living in Russia.
• 19:00 A meeting with representatives of the 190,000 Greeks and Pontic Greeks living in Russia.

Holy Thursday, April 9, 2015

• 10:00 Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras gives a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, titled “Greek-Russian relations and Europe.”
• 12:00 Tsipras meets with the Chairman of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin.
• 15:00 Tsipras meets with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
• 16:30 Tsipras meets with Patriarch Kyrillos of Russia

Photographs from PM A. Tsipras’ arrival in Moscow: