Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras got a special gift from his Chinese hosts during his official visit to China in July: a two-wheeled bicycle. Explaining the symbolic value of the gift, Tsipras said that the bilateral relations are like a two-wheeled vehicle. "One wheel is economic cooperation and the other, cooperation in culture and education. We are the cyclists who will develop our two countries," said Tsipras.

During a 10-day trip in June, we talked to officials, migrants and activists in Athens, Lesvos -- the Greek island where most refugees first set foot in Europe last year , and Thessaloniki, near the closed border of Macedonia, shutting migrants' way out. Our mission: to see if the technology that many of us use every day: phones, the internet, messaging apps, social networks -- is helping during this crisis. Or not.

Grammy award nominee Demetra George Mustafoglu, Soprano Lenia Kallis, Mezzo soprano Katie Economidou and 10-year-old Peri Bektasoglu, one of Demetra’s students from Kyrenia, will get together for a concert without borders to support the CVAR. Their choice of arias from operas and popular songs will be accompanied by pianist Agni Sacca.

At the forefront of the crisis, Palestinians from the humanitarian organization Humanity Crew can be found dealing with the most harrowing scenes to hit European shores in modern history. Launched less than a year ago in Haifa as a response to the Syrian war, the organization is leading the way in delivering mental health and psychosocial support to refugees from Syria to Sudan.

British television network BBC2 is planning TV shootings in Thessaloniki and Imathia from July 24-31, with the support of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT), with the view to promoting popular and lesser-known Greek destinations abroad, through the entertainment industry. Other “filming trips” with the support of EOT are ongoing in Athens, Peloponnese and Crete by the Australian television travel programme “The Travel Bug TV Show”. 

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and the Deutscher Anwaltverein (DAV) have launched their joint European Lawyers in Lesvos project, aimed at providing legal assistance to migrants requiring international protection. [...] The purpose of the project is to give migrants and refugees the chance to receive individual legal advice from a lawyer – crucial at a time of great uncertainty amongst the more than 4,000 on the island as to their legal entitlements.

Public mobilization follows. People-to-people exchange is strengthened, more Greek people learn Chinese and more Chinese people learn Greek, bilateral or multilateral scientific projects are carried out, joint events are organized and media are cooperating in their day-to-day operations.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Wednesday the Greek government will start constructing a mosque and a Muslim cemetery for the Muslim minorities in the city. Speaking at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Tsipras touched on refugee flows and the Greek government's efforts to improve the fundamental rights of minority groups living in Greece. Tsipras's promise concerns 200,000 Muslims living in Athens, while Athens is known as the only capital without a mosque in Europe.