Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-04-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] FM Kotzias: Do they want to support us to have growth or they want to punish us because we have a left government

[02] Sixty-nine trapped migrants on Evros river islet rescued

[03] Events and marches in Athens, Thessaloniki commemorate Armenian genocide centennial

[04] FinMin Varoufakis: We are close to an agreement

[01] FM Kotzias: Do they want to support us to have growth or they want to punish us because we have a left government

Kotzias also clarified that he respects Germany just not German politics, nor the way Berlin views Greece's economy, which faces the prospect of running out of money if it cannot agree to new bailout terms with creditors. Kotzias said Greece and its euro zone partners need to compromise on creating political policies that will foster growth and allow the country to pay its debts.

Asked if he is simply asking the rest of Europe to trust Greece, he said: "No. To be pragmatic. Trust is a very important thing but they have to be pragmatic. It is like a game of chicken, but not the kind of game you know. What our friends are forgetting is that we don't have gas to move... We like to come back to compromising and at the end we will do it," said Kotzias adding "So you are not giving a solution to Greece, you press the Greek government? What can be the solution? Golden Dawn is coming. Nobody has an interest in that, so that is why they will find a solution," he said.

Referring to the cooperation with Russia on the construction of a natural gas pipeline that that passes through Turkey, Greece, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and then into Hungary and perhaps include Austria he said that a technical group will meet in May to discuss financing and logistics for the pipeline. According to a Russian calculation, an investment in the Greek portion of the pipeline could be between $2 billion and $2.5 billion, Kotzias said stressing that western companies and banks rather than the Russian government would fund the pipeline building under EU rules.

As for money Greece might collect in advance on future profits from the pipeline's operations, Kotzias said the Russians told Greece it was a figure close to what Bulgaria would have earned from South Stream. "I'm not very sure exactly, but it is about $5 billion," Kotzias said.

[02] Sixty-nine trapped migrants on Evros river islet rescued

Police was informed on Thursday that a group of people were trapped on an islet and their lives were in danger.

A special police unit searched the area and finally located the trapped migrants (42 men, 10 women and 17 children).

The preliminary investigation revealed that an unknown individual brought the migrants from Turkey to Greece with a boat and abandoned them on the islet.

[03] Events and marches in Athens, Thessaloniki commemorate Armenian genocide centennial

The service was held at the memorial of the genocide victims at Chryssostomou Smyrnis Square on Friday afternoon, where the ambassador of the Republic of Armenia lay a wreath, and then marchers gathered at Syntagma Square before marching to the embassy.

The National Armenian Committee said the Armenians in Athens and in the diaspora honoured the 1,500,000 Armenians who died in 1915 in Turkey and it called for recognition of the event by the government of Turkey.

Police on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue and Rigillis, near the embassy, blocked the marchers, who sat in protest with lit candles until a resolution was presented to embassy staff calling for recognition of historical reality and condemning the government's denial and threats.

The Armenian Youth organised a rally and march in Thessaloniki to commemorate the anniversary, with a gathering at Plateia Aristotelous and a march to the Turkish consulate, where they were prevented from proceeding. Marchers held a sitting protest before departing without incident.

[04] FinMin Varoufakis: We are close to an agreement

Asked if some of his colleagues in the Eurogroup referred to a plan B if the negotiations fail, Varoufakis said "It is true that one of my colleagues in the Eurogroup, unintentionally, probably from anger, referred to that. My immediate answer was to say that there is no plan B, there can't be a plan B and whatever reference to a plan B is clearly anti-European and finally against the interests of the particular country which is represented by the particular colleague'.

Yanis Varoufakis also referred to the liquidity problem "The fact that in the last two years we received liquidity injections in regular periods, only added more fuel to the fire. What is of vital importance is to put a halt to this vicious circle and to create a healthy circle. That means that for a little while, and for as long as these important negotiations continue we are under pressure regarding the liquidity issue, let it be. It is an investment for a better future for Greece and for a better future for Europe" concluded Varoufakis

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