Putin Thanks 'Old Friend' Greece for Warm Welcome During Visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Greece on Wednesday for its hospitality during his latest visit to the country, stressing that Athens and Moscow were not only partners but friends.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Putin paid a two-day visit to Greece last week on May 27-28.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my Greek colleagues for their hospitality during my visit to the Hellenic Republic on May 27 and 28. I was genuinely moved by the cordial, warm welcome accorded to the Russian delegation in your country," Putin said in an article for the Kathimerini daily.

According to the Russian leader, the visit and negotiations were very positive.

"The talks revealed that Russia and Greece are in synch on most issues. Most importantly, we are talking to each other not just as partners, but as old friends, which is largely attributable to the centuries-old spiritual and cultural affinity between our peoples," the president said.

Putin said that the current relations between Russia and Greece were based on pragmatism and trust.

"We highly value the level of partnership we have been able to achieve and share the conviction that there is a lot of potential for further strengthening our business and humanitarian ties. I strongly believe that the outcomes of the visit will provide new impetus and bolster mutual understanding and trust between our countries and peoples," he added.

During his visit, Putin held talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. He also visited the monastic center of Holy Mount Athos to commemorate 1,000 years of Russian presence at the site.

Following the visit, Putin and Tsipras held a phone conversation Monday discussing the results of their talks in the Greek capital of Athens and reaffirmed their readiness to implement the achieved agreements.