French PM visits Greece to bolster strategic partnership

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls arrived for an official visit to Greece on Thursday with the view to bolster the longstanding strategic partnership between the two countries.

Accompanied by finance minister Michel Sapin and deputy minister for European affairs Harlem Desir, the French prime minister was first received at the Presidential mansion by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Greek national television ERT reported.

During a short televised welcome, Pavlopoulos thanked France for its crucial contribution in keeping Greece in the EU and the eurozone.

"Greece continues with steady and decisive steps on its course, the European course," the Greek president stressed.

Regarding the refugee crisis, which has tested Greece and the EU over the past year, Pavlopoulos urged for more joint efforts to address the challenges, calling for an end to the Syrian conflict and closer international cooperation to deal with terrorism "whose effects France suffered dearly."

Valls said the aim of his visit, which comes a few months after French President Francois Hollande visited the country, was to strengthen bilateral relations.

The French premier expressed his support to Greek peoples' efforts for reform to exit the six-year debt crisis, pledging France would continue to support Greece to stay in the eurozone and reach a viable solution.

Valls also reiterated France's willingness to further assist Greece in dealing with the refugee influx.

"Certainly, you can count on the support and solidarity of Europe and in particular France," he said during the meeting.

On Friday, Valls was scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras before the two premiers sign a "roadmap" on the strategic partnership between Greece and France, according to a statement from the French embassy in Athens.

"The visit, which takes place only a few days after the European Union decided to provide further financial assistance to Greece, will be an opportunity to express France's support to Greek reforms and the consolidation of Greece's position in the eurozone," the press release read.

Shortly before Valls' arrival in Athens, the Greek parliament ratified a series of amendments to a recent bill concerning the actions international lenders had asked for so as to complete the first review of the third bailout and disburse the next tranche in the coming weeks.

The amendments concern, among others, further cuts to pension benefits and the payroll of public servants, as well as the framework for the sale of non-performing loans to foreign distress funds.

Greek finance ministry sources have expressed confidence Athens will receive the funding in the second half of June and there will be no further negative scenarios as to whether Greece will manage to stay afloat and in the eurozone. Endit