On guard

A Greek Presidential Guard presents arms before the arrival of Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Tuesday. President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said Greece and Italy suffer from two crises – one financial and one relating to refugees – which extend beyond their borders. "They are on the verge of becoming existential crises for the future of the European project," he said. Mattarella referred to a common view of the challenges testing the European Union. "Both countries are convinced that the EU must focus on economic growth and boosting jobs," he said. [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]