Greek PM to miss EU summit after eye surgery

Newly-elected Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will not attend next week's EU summit as he is recovering from serious eye surgery, the government spokesman said on Sunday. Greece will be represented at the June 28-29 summit by Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, who will be accompanied by acting Finance Minister George Zannias, spokesman Simos Kedikogkou told reporters. Kedikoglou said Samaras' surgeon had "strictly forbidden" a voyage. The surgeon, Panagiotis Theodosiadis, said the PM would be discharged on Monday but would take "days and weeks" to fully recover. "He must remain still...for certain hours during the day he will have to sit in positions we have suggested," Theodosiadis said. Greece's new Finance Minister Vassilis Rapanos is currently also in hospital after being admitted with strong stomach pains on Friday. Samaras and Rapanos were to begin on Monday an effort to renegotiate Greece's EU-IMF bailout deal and place more emphasis on growth. Auditors from Greece's international creditors are also to begin inspecting the country's finances anew on Monday. A government policy document released on Saturday said Greece wanted to freeze further civil service layoffs and bargain for a two-year extension to its tough fiscal adjustment.