by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) should leave its doors open to dialogue when it comes to Brexit and the numerous challenges on the course of deeper European integration, Polish President Andrzej Duda said here on Monday.
"I am certain that we will soon overcome the financial crisis. However, the EU faces many great challenges such as Brexit. I would say this is a test that we need to pass...In my point of view, the EU should leave its doors open," the Polish leader said during a meeting with his Greek counterpart, according to Greek state broadcaster ERT.
Duda began a two-day visit to the Greek capital on Monday aimed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
He is the first Polish president to have paid an official visit to Greece in 17 years.
"I hope that my visit will be a milestone in bilateral ties and will boost cooperation between the two countries," he told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during separate talks.
Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos underlined Greece's willingness to cooperate with all member states to deepen relations and create a stronger EU.
"We Greeks, with many sacrifices -- for which we are not entirely responsible as I have stressed several times -- remain faithful to our European course, remain committed to the European vision," he said, according to an e-mailed press release by the presidency.
"Even though we are located at two different points on the European map, nevertheless, as NATO member states and as countries on the EU's eastern borders, we are engaged in a constant dialogue," Tsipras said according to an e-mailed press statement issued by his office.
"The upgrade of this dialogue would be, in my opinion, particularly beneficial for coping with contemporary challenges in the European Union and for deepening bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as the economy, trade, energy, communications, and transport," he added.
According to Greek government sources, the two sides focused during Monday's talks in particular on efforts to advance cooperation in the sectors of energy and transport in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
