Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-04-03

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Prosecutor orders urgent investigation over Kasidiaris-Baltakos video

[02] Tsipras on latest developments; gov't spokesman's reaction

[03] Consession contracts for hydrocarbon research in western Greece

[01] Prosecutor orders urgent investigation over Kasidiaris-Baltakos video

Fakou assigned the preliminary investigation to prosecutor Kalliope Dayanda so that it can be determined whether the felony of violating the law on personal data has been committed on the part of the deputy. Former secretary general of the government Panagiotis Baltakos will be called to testify so as to clarify, provided he is aware of it, when and under what circumstances his conversation with Kasidiaris was recorded.

[02] Tsipras on latest developments; gov't spokesman's reaction

He said he was "shocked" at the revelations of the Baltakos-Kasidiaris discussion, which led to the resignation of the government's secretary general, while stressing that the prime minister also bears responsibility and asked him to provide explanations.

Tsipras added that a political and institutional issue has arised, since the disclosures reveal the prime minister's way of thinking on a major issue concerning the political system's stability. We, he said, did not discover Golden Dawn's (Chryssi Avgi) criminal action with the killing, we were aware of it and we had denounced it many times.

Asked on what he considers success for SYRIZA in the euroelections, he said that their aim is to win the elections, even with one vote. However, he clarified that the stronger the lead is, the sooner the government will leave.

SYRIZA leader insists that the exit to the market is "staged" so that the government can support the success story it propagates.

Regarding banks, Tsipras said that this is the "heart of the crisis" and reiterated his position that "the law will be implemented".

On speculations that Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras will be appointed governor of the Bank of Greece (BoG), Tsipras called it "a major degradation" and insinuated that, if he got the position, his relations with the troika would affect his performance.

Finally on the parties' funding, Tsipras said that the decision to reduce them was the appropriate one and noted that the abolition of parties' funding disguise other manipulations because PASOK and New Democracy owe 250 million euros to the state and the banks withhold their fundings.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou sternly attacked main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras after the end of Tsipras' TV interview.

"Mr.Tsipras threatens again the country not to make an exit to the markets by saying that 'Greece's exit is staged," Kedikoglou said.

"An exit to the markets also means an exit from the memorandum. Obviously, Mr. Tsipras wishes Greece remained in the memorandum forever, because he is fuelled exclusively by it," Kedikoglou said and underlined "But, at this moment that the country is recovering, Mr. Tsipras by sabotaging the exit to the markets, is practically understimating the Greek people's sacrifices and hardship only for his personal ambitions. He is ruthless."

[03] Consession contracts for hydrocarbon research in western Greece

According to sources from the Environment, Energy and Climate Change ministry, the ministry has overcome all technical-legal hurdles in negotiations with the joint ventures which have been declared preferred investors in the project in the framework of an "open door" tender launched in 2012.

The concession contracts cover the regions of Ioannina and Patras Gulf and will be followed by the region of Katakolo. Hydrocarbon researches had been made in these regions back in the 1990s without success.

According to official estimates, the estimated reserves in the Patras Gulf (underwriter is the joint venture of Hellenic Petroleum-Edison-Petroceltic) are 200 million barrels, in Ioannina (underwriter is the joint venture Energean-Petra) the estimate is for 50-80 million barrels and in Katakolo (underwriter is the joint venture Energean Oil & Gas-Trajan Oil & Gas Ltd/Schlumberger) the estimate is 3.0 million barrels.

The Greek state estimates that revenues from the first two regions would total 11 billion euros in a 25-year period.

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