The board of the National Bank of Greece announced today it signed the contract for the sale of Astir Palace Hotel in the Southern Athenian suburb of Vouliagmeni.

EIB’s president Werner Hoyer said that the bank’s financial support to Greece totaled 9.0 pct of GDP, one of the highest in the EU.

Violence began after dozens of hooded demonstrators in Keratsini broke off from the initially peaceful march and police fired teargas at them.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to participate in events organized by the Azeri government for the Shah Deniz deposit.