Greece is gradually introducing new rules designed to speed up the sale, gifting, and inheritance of real estate, as well as to reduce the number of documents that owners must obtain on their own from government agencies. Some of the provisions are already in effect, while the full implementation of the rest will require additional decisions by government agencies.
One of the key innovations will be the “single window” principle. Notaries will independently obtain, through government digital systems, tax and insurance certificates, electronic property passports, cadastral extracts, and documents required for filing tax returns. This should reduce the number of times sellers and buyers need to contact various government agencies.
However, the “single window” system is not yet fully operational. The date of its practical launch, technical specifications, and the list of available operations must be determined by a joint decision of the relevant ministries.
The law also eliminates the requirement to attach a topographic plan to contracts for properties located in areas where cadastral surveying has already been completed. This provision takes effect upon the law’s publication.
Heirs are permitted to pay inheritance, gift, or property transfer tax on assets received from their parents directly from the proceeds of the property’s sale. Previously, the requirement to pay the tax before the transaction was finalized could force owners to seek additional financing or renounce the inheritance. Between 2013 and 2019, approximately 180,000 renunciations of inherited property were registered in the country.
Certain changes pertain to real estate seized for tax debts. Following the adoption of a supplementary resolution by the Independent State Revenue Service, notaries will be able to conduct the sale of such properties, withholding a portion of the proceeds to settle the debt. Once the specified amount is transferred, the tax lien will be lifted.
In addition, the state will restrict the assertion of rights to private land plots when correcting initial entries in the National Cadastre. Specifically, claims may not be asserted against certain properties whose ownership is confirmed by old purchase agreements, government land allocation deeds, or documents granting plots to resettlers and farmers.
The reform may make the Greek real estate market more accessible to foreign buyers, as it reduces the administrative burden and lowers the risk of transaction delays due to the lack of certain certificates. However, investors should note that some of the measures are being introduced gradually, and verification of a property’s legal status and cadastral records remains mandatory.
During the temporary truce with the U.S., Iran exported about 70 million barrels of oil with an estimated value of $5–6 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 19, citing data from analysts and tanker tracking. China is believed to have been the main end buyer of the crude.
According to the publication, after the U.S. naval blockade was lifted in mid-June, Tehran accelerated the shipment of its accumulated reserves. Starting in late June, about 20 Iranian tankers began arriving off the east coast of Malaysia. Among them, the WSJ names the vessels Diona, Hero II, Sonia 1, and Stream.
At sea, the oil was transshipped from Iranian vessels to other tankers. This ship-to-ship scheme makes it possible to conceal the cargo’s origin, alter accompanying documents, and make it difficult to track shipments subject to U.S. sanctions. After transshipment, the oil was primarily sent to small independent refineries in China.
The TankerTrackers platform previously reported that Iran had exported tens of millions of barrels of crude oil since June 15 alone. By June 24, the volume was estimated at approximately 40 million barrels, of which about 20 million barrels left the country in a single day—June 19.
The U.S. subsequently reinstated the blockade of Iran’s coastline, ports, and oil terminals. The new sanctions regime took effect on July 14 amid renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
The estimate of $5–6 billion reflects the approximate market value of the exported oil. Iran’s actual revenue may have been lower due to discounts granted to Chinese buyers, transportation costs, and fees paid to intermediaries. There is no independent confirmation that the Iranian authorities received the full amount indicated.
According to “Serbian Economist”, a South Korean consortium led by Incheon International Airport Corporation has withdrawn from the process of awarding a 30-year concession to operate the international airports in Podgorica and Tivat.
On July 18, the Montenegrin government announced that it had received an official letter stating the consortium’s withdrawal from further participation in the process. The reasons for the South Korean side’s decision have not yet been disclosed. The government stated that it does not intend to completely abandon the idea of bringing in a private operator, but will not agree to terms that could conflict with the public interest.
Incheon had been considered the winner of the tender. In April 2026, the Montenegrin government decided to proceed with signing a concession agreement with the South Korean consortium. The proposal called for a one-time payment to the state of 100 million euros, an annual transfer of 35% of the airports’ gross revenue, and approximately 300 million euros in mandatory investments over 30 years. The total financial benefit for the state was estimated at over 1 billion euros.
The investment program was to include terminal expansions, modernization of runway and apron infrastructure, implementation of new passenger service systems, and increases in airport capacity. However, the draft agreement was criticized for lacking a detailed breakdown of the €300 million in investments by individual phases and for making part of the work contingent on the state resolving property issues.
Incheon’s withdrawal poses several risks for Montenegro. The main one is a further delay in the modernization of airports that are strategically important for tourism. An increase in passenger traffic without the expansion of terminals and aprons could exacerbate queues, infrastructure overload, and seasonal disruptions, especially in Tivat.
The country also risks losing out on the planned one-time payment of 100 million euros and delaying the attraction of 300 million euros in private investment. A repeat tender or negotiations with another bidder could take a long time, and new financial terms may prove less favorable.
Reputational uncertainty is another negative factor. If the selected investor withdraws after the government has already made its decision, this could raise questions among other international operators regarding the terms of the tender, legal certainty, and the speed of approval for major infrastructure projects in Montenegro.
In June 2025, Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali stated that Belgrade was interested in managing the airports in Podgorica and Tivat and was prepared to offer significant investments. However, Montenegrin authorities reported at the time that no official bid had been received from Serbia as part of the ongoing tender process.
Restrictions on freight traffic have been imposed within Kyiv due to hot weather, according to the Ukrainian Patrol Police.
“To preserve the road surface, trucks are prohibited from traveling when the air temperature reaches +28 degrees Celsius or higher. The ban applies to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 24 metric tons and an axle load exceeding 7 metric tons,” the agency said in a post on its Telegram channel on Sunday.
Drivers can wait out the hot spell at temporary parking areas in highway right-of-ways and near roadside service facilities, the patrol police added.
Since the beginning of 2020, 35.8 million pieces of jewelry made of precious metals, with a total weight of 83.2 metric tons, have received the state hallmark in Ukraine, according to OpenDataBot, citing the Ministry of Finance.
The average weight of a single item that passed state inspection was about 2.3 grams. Silver jewelry accounted for the majority—20.8 million pieces. Another 15 million items were made of gold.
The number of platinum jewelry items during this period totaled just 7,200 pieces. Only one palladium item was recorded—it passed assay inspection in 2025.
Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 6.2 million pieces of jewelry were hallmarked annually. After a decline in 2022, the figure rebounded to 6.4 million in 2023 and to a record 7.3 million in 2024. In 2025, the number of hallmarked jewelry pieces fell to 5.4 million.
In January–June 2026, Ukraine reduced imports of zinc and zinc products by 33.6% compared to the same period last year, to $17.098 million.
According to customs statistics, imports of zinc and zinc products in June totaled $3.069 million.
Zinc exports for the six-month period totaled $649,000, with $183,000 in June, compared to $620,000 in January–June 2025.
As previously reported, Ukraine reduced its imports of zinc and zinc products by 9.6% in 2025 compared to 2024, down to $52,982 million. Zinc exports for the past year reached $1,234 million, whereas in 2024 they stood at $563 thousand.
Pure metallic zinc is used to refine precious metals, to protect steel from corrosion, and for other purposes.
