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Tuesday, 26 November 2024 | ||
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-05-23Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Greek government looks for solution that will pave the way for exiting the crisis, spokesman Tzanakopoulos says"It was not possible to bridge the differences and come up with a concrete solution," government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said during a press briefing on Tuesday.Although the distance between the IMF and the German Finance Ministry has been reduced in the last few weeks, he said, it still remains. "The solution presented at yesterday's meeting did not correspond neither to the targets set in the previous period nor to the sacrifices of the Greek people", he explained. Therefore, postponing the agreement for a few days in order to be able to present a better proposal was the best solution, the government spokesman said. The Greek government will exhaust every possibility at all levels, aiming to have a clear solution at the forthcoming Eurogroup meeting regarding the definition of the medium-term measures for the Greek debt relief without grey zones and without ambiguity. A solution that will pave the way for a definitive exit from the crisis and will correspond to the sacrifices of the Greek people. Referring to the medium-term measures on the debt, he said that they will have to be defined so that the IMF can make a positive debt sustainability report and fully participate in the programme. In his introductory remark, Tzanakopoulos conveyed the Greek government's grief and dismay for Monday's terrorist attack in Manchester. "Today, we are all on the side of the British people and declare the absolute support and solidarity of all Greeks. We insist on our firm position that democracy and freedom are not being blackmailed or terrorised," Tzanakopoulos. [02] EU Commission: We call on all sides to honour Greece's effortsThe European Commission is aware that Greece has delivered on its promises and it is now the partners' turn to do the same, European Commission's spokesman Margaritis Schinas said on Tuesday during a press briefing in Brussels."It is positive that the Eurogroup recognized the significant progress made by Greece on the policy package and the implementation of the prior actions," said Schinas, adding that the Commission believes the conclusion of the second programme is "feasible soon". "We call on all sides to show responsibility and honour the efforts of Greece and the Greek people in recent months," he said, adding that "President Juncker will continue to work to facilitate a comprehensive agreement as soon as possible." [03] It's time for the curtain to fall; Tsipras lied again, says ND's announcement"(Prime Minister Alexis) Tsipras' theatre costs a lot to the Greek people. It's time for the curtain to fall," main opposition New Democracy said in an announcement on Tuesday."The government delayed for months the conclusion of the review and sent the economy back to recession. It also burdened the Greeks with a fourth memorandum and additional painful austerity measures and increased the bill to 14.2 bln euros," noted ND. Unfortunately, Tsipras lied again, said the main opposition party adding that yesterday we had another Eurogroup meeting without an agreement on the debt or Greece's participation in the ECB's quantitative easing programme. "The only tangible results are the cutbacks on pensions, the reduction of the tax free ceiling, the abolition of social benefits and the huge increase of levies to the social security funds for the professionals. And of course many years of austerity with unbearable primary surpluses," ND's announcement concluded. [04] The measures came to stay, says KKEAs much as the government attempts to present the debt settlement as an alibi for the harsh antipopular measures they voted, the people understand that the measures came to stay and that the continuation and escalation of the antipopular policy is the prerequisite for whatever debt settlement and whatever recovery of the economy," said the Communist Party (KKE) in an announcement on Tuesday.Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |