© Russia InsiderGreek Prime Minister meets with Vladimir Putin
Greek membership of the European Union continues to hurt The Hellenic Republic on many fronts. Greece and Russia have been historic allies, sharing a fraternal Orthodox faith and a mutual respect for each other's cultures. Greece partly owes its independence from Ottoman imperialism to Russian support.
Because Greece is in the EU, Greece has been affected by the two-way sanctions between Moscow and Brussels. In spite of this, Greece and Russia continue to trade as much as possible.
On the sidelines of the One Belt-One Road forum in Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras. Both countries affirmed their desire to increase bilateral trade, in spite of difficulties with Greece being bound to stifling EU rules.
President Putin spoke of how Greece and Russia continue to make progress, saying,
"There are some positive tendencies, which are related to the turnover volume. Last year it increased by four percent, while in the first two months of this year it surged by 80 percent. The overall increase of trade turnover with the EU countries has increased by 43 percent".Last year President Putin visited Greece where he retains a high level of popularity among the population. A recent poll discovered that 70% of Greeks see Russia as a defender of their Orthodox culture and traditions.
As part of his trip to Greece, Putin visited the ancient Mount Athos monastery.
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