Tsipras hails historic ties binding Greece, Serbia ahead of trilateral summit

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras emphasized the historic ties binding Greece and Serbia on Thursday during a televised exchange with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Thessaloniki.

The meeting between the two men is the first step to the promotion of bilateral cooperation for greater security and stability in the region, Tsipras said and congratulated Vucic on his appointment earlier this year.

Vucic, for his part, referred to memorandums of cooperation that are to be signed after the meeting. 

The issue of security and stability in the Western Balkans is to be the focal point of a trilateral summit of Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian leaders at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall on Thursday.

Tsipras, Vucic and Boyko Borisov of Bulgaria are also expected to discuss Thessaloniki train links with Burgas and Belgrade, as well as energy cooperation between the three countries. The name dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is also on the agenda of talks.

Before the summit, Tsipras was to hold separate meetings with both leaders, beginning with Vucic.