President Pavlopoulos receives EuroParliament President, urges correction of 'mistakes' in Greek programme

"It must be made known that Greece is going through an economic and social crisis that borders on becoming a humanitarian crisis. It is my fervent request that in the course of executing the programme, there be a correction of mistakes that are not the fault of Greece but the result of mistaken calculations, in order that Greece can provide support for people and the social state," he said.

Pavlopoulos said Greece had to be supported in order to remain in the EU and the Eurozone and needed help in tackling the refugee crisis, which he said the EU must face together, in accordance with Europe's values and principles. No European and democratic conscience, he added, could tolerate the conversion of the Mediterranean and the Aegean into a sacrificial altar of human values and a cemetery of innocents.

"We must face [the refugee crisis] together. Greece has need of help. Greece will meet its commitments to the letter. The belief that some have that Greece is taking shortcuts in applying European law is mistaken," he said.

Pavlopoulos also referred to the guarding of Greece's borders, pointing out that it was also the border of Europe Union and that it was a security issue for both Greece and Europe. At the same time, he said that this protection must be achieved in a way that accorded with European and international law.

"In other words, Greece determines these borders and the way in which they will be guarded - but here we need the cooperation and especially the reinforcement of Frontex, which must be converted into a truly European force," he added.

Responding, Schulz agreed with the president's statements and said that "there is no Grexit, it does not exist," stressing that "Greece belongs in the Eurozone."

He said Greeks were now faced with challenges that had not been encountered since WWII, as the economic, fiscal and refugee crises combined to create a "dire situation".

"Greece needs solidarity and will have this solidarity," he emphasised, saying that Europe did not have the right to abandon Greece at this time and clarifying that this applied to anything related to financial matters.

Referring to his visit to a refugee camp in the Athens district of Galatsi earlier on Wednesday, Schulz expressed his surprise at the large numbers of refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the camp, saying that this was an issue that needed to be negotiated on.

On the creation of refugee hotspots, he said these refugee registration and identification centres would only have a point if there was a binding system for allocating refugees.