This is the first visit of the Russian President to Greece since 2007. He will meet with President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. According to his schedule, after the talks with the Greek side, he will visit the Byzantine museum with Mr. Tsipras and then tomorrow travel to Thessaloniki and Mount Athos with Mr. Pavlopoulos.
 
Mr. Putin is accompanied by his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov and ministers for Energy, Transports, Culture, Economic Development, Agriculture and the Government’s Spokesperson, indicating the importance the Russians are attaching to the talks.
 
Mr. Putin is also accompanied by several important Russian businessmen and investors, as Kremlin says the visit will likely deliver “a number of bilateral agreements” and will focus on trade, investment and joint energy and transport projects.
 
Moscow is primarily interested in buying state-run railway operator Trainose and a stake in Thessaloniki port, the country’s second largest. In a commentary published on Thursday ahead of the visit, Mr. Putin claimed that Russia -Greece’s main gas supplier- is still very much interested in reviving the South Stream gas pipeline project.
 
“The issue of our energy resources being carried through southern corridors to the countries of the European Union is still on the agenda” Mr. Putin said.
 
Mr. Putin and Greek President Pavlopoulos will visit Mount Athos on Saturday to attend celebrations marking the 1.000 year presence of Russian monks at the Orthodox monastic community.
 
Despite European Union trade sanctions imposed on Moscow in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine, Russia has maintained cordial relations with Greece. EU leaders will vote on whether to extend them in July. Some analysts suggest Mr. Putin is looking for allies among EU member states who could help lift or at least ease sanctions in coming months.
 
“These days, Greece is Russia's important partner in Europe,” Putin wrote in the article published on Thursday.