ENGLISH EDITION

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated his criticism of the Prespes Agreement, during a meeting he had with Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev on the sidelines of the 4th Thessaloniki Summit on Thursday, but also stressed his commitment to the EU accession of western Balkan countries.

"Good accounts make for good friends," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said addressing himself to North Macedonia and Albania with a Greek saying, in an address at the 4th Thessaloniki Summit on Thursday. As Mitsotakis clarified, he wanted to be honest and convey to the two neighboring countries that the path to EU accession includes reforms that must be made.

Foreign investment funds have been showing a growing interest in Greek pharmaceutical exporters in the last year. According to sources from the Panhellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (PEF), the exporters produce drugs at a much lower cost than European peers and can sell their products abroad at a price up to three times higher than what they can get in Greece.

Greece and Saudi Arabia can do better in trade and investments, visiting Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said in a press conference on Wednesday, as "the size of investment and trade relations does not correspond to the closeness of the two countries." The Saudi minister said that "Greek businesses are active in Saudi Arabia in several sectors, as, correspondingly, our businesses in Greece are, and we want to see how we can expand and enrich this relationship."

Chinese shipyards are gaining favor among Greek shippers thanks to lending provided by banks in China but their peers at Korea remains top choice for Greek interests due to the technological edge they offer. Chinese shipyards have taken on deals to build 56 vessels for Greek shippers, worth $2.3 billion, reflecting the strong ties between the two sides.

The number of Lime electric scooters being ridden around the streets and pavements of Athens is set to rise as Greeks have taken warmly to the two-wheeled mode of transport taking off around the world.

Completion of the Hercules plan, a proposal being put together by the Greek government to help banks offload nonperforming loans, has been pushed back to 2020, in a development that is also delaying other initiatives by banks to improve their balance sheets. Due to uncertainty stemming from the Hercules proposal, Greek lenders are unable to complete steps they have already announced and prepared 12 months ago, such as the Eurobank - Pimco deal.

President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping arrived in Athens shortly after 19:30 on Sunday night for an official visit to the Greek capital until November 12. The Chinese president and his spouse were welcomed at Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

The government is determined to eliminate domestic terrorism, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview to Giorgos Aftias and Skai TV on Sunday morning.

The annual Authentic Marathon of Athens will formally begin at 9:00 on Sunday morning in Marathonas, the town identified with ancient Marathon, where Persians fought the Athenians and lost the battle in 490 BC and from where legend has it a messenger ran to Athens with the news, before he collapsed and died from exhaustion.