During his visit to Athens on Monday, the European People's Party (EPP) candidate for the presidency of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker was welcomed at the offices of the European border agency, Frontex, in the Greek Shipping and Aegean Ministry, where he was briefed by the Minister of Shipping and Aegean Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and the Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection Nikos Dendias, as well as the chief of the coast guard Vice-Admiral Athanassios Athanasopouloson on the actions taken against illegal migration flows from the country’s sea borders and the joint operations run by Frontex and the Greek Coast Guard. Juncker also visited the Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, where he was informed about its operations and work.

Accompanied by Development and Competitiveness Minister Costis Hatzidakis, he then visited the working site of the Athens metro extend to Piraeus, where the CEO of Attiko Metro Christos Tsitouras and Public Works General Secretary Stratos Simopoulos outlined the progress of the project.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras accompanied the EPP candidate on his visit to the Acropolis Museum where they both enjoyed the panoramas of the Acropolis from the terrace of the museum’s restaurant.