March 17, 2015 / 10:24 AM / 4 years ago
Greek PM to meet Russia's Putin in Moscow on April 8: govt official
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras gives a statement at the European Parliament in Brussels, March 13, 2015. REUTERS/Eric Vidal
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will visit Moscow on April 8 after being invited to talks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Greek government official said on Tuesday.
Greece's government has previously said Putin had invited Tsipras to visit Moscow on May 9 and it was not immediately clear if that trip had been changed. It would be Tsipras's first official visit to Moscow since being elected in January.
Tsipras's left-wing government ruffled feathers among European partners in its initial days in power with comments suggesting Greece might not support EU policy on Russia.
That prompted speculation that Greece might look to Moscow for financial aid to stave off bankruptcy, though Athens rejects the idea.
Writing by Deepa Babington