Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-04-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] Samaras willing to join a unity government to keep Greece in the eurozone

[02] Jailed wife of former Greek minister escapes

[03] Citizens protest against the holding of Golden Dawn trial in Korydallos prison

[01] Samaras willing to join a unity government to keep Greece in the eurozone

New Democracy leader signaled his willingness to join a unity government. "If the plan is to keep Greece in the euro area, we will provide support," said Samaras because "Exit would signal a total catastrophe."

While Samaras questioned Tsipras' commitment to the single currency, he said it's the only conceivable economic path for Greece.

"For the euro area, the spillover effect from Greece leaving the euro is not going to be today as big as it would have been four years ago," Samaras said. "But it's still going to be huge, and it's going to be a political disaster," he said.

The government should honor the commitments made in February's deal to extend the bailout, he said. "If they ideologically decide they won't abide by this agreement, then you may have a default," Samaras said.

"Euro-area countries which have lower GDP per capita than Greece, countries which have elections and countries which have themselves gone through a program won't give us any more money if they see that the government is not abiding by its commitments and it's behaving in an anti-European manner," Samaras said.

He dismissed criticism he's not supporting the government, saying his party "voted in favor of the two bills the government brought to parliament."

According to Samaras, Tsipras is further undermining the country's credibility by making overtures to Russia. "When you are in Europe and ask Chinese, Iranians, Russians to finance your deficit, don't you send a signal to the rest of Europe that you are not really a serious pro-European?"

[02] Jailed wife of former Greek minister escapes

At 5.45 a.m. Thursday morning the staff found her room empty and the padlock broken.

Akis Tsohatzopoulos' wife has been in prison since April 2012 accused of money laundering and accepting illegal funds which the former Minister of Defence received from armaments procurement programmes.

[03] Citizens protest against the holding of Golden Dawn trial in Korydallos prison

By decision of the mayor and the Piraeus deputy governor, the municipality departments will not operate while schools will close at 11.30.

The city's mayor Stavros Kassimatis has said that conducting the trial in the specially adapted courtroom at Korydallos Prison poses several risks as it could cause social upheaval and disrupt the smooth operation of schools in the area.

The "Movement against Racism and Fascist Threat (KEERFA)" organizes a protest on Monday, April 20 at 08.00 and then a march towards the Korydallos prison.

In the meantime, Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis said he was against the holding of the trial at Korydallos prison, as the jail is close to a school – whose operation would be disrupted – and to the places that Pavlos Fyssas' murder and other Golden Dawn attacks took place.

"It is absolutely necessary to urgently find a different venue for the Golden Dawn trial," he said among others.

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