|
|
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-08-07
CONTENTS
[01] Gov't VP Dragasakis: ‘We're almost ready for a deal'
[02] Main opposition blasts government's ‘resounding failure' in
tackling migration
[01] Gov't VP Dragasakis: ‘We're almost ready for a deal'
ANA - MPA -- Negotiations with Greece's lenders are continuing normally
and the government is almost ready for an agreement, Government Vice
President Yannis Dragasakis told journalists on Friday, after the
meeting of the government council for economic policy.
Asked whether there are any "thorny" issues left in the talks, Dragasakis
said "there are just some issues which are being examined, but not
‘thorns'." Commenting on the 100-debt installment scheme, the VP said
"some small changes will be made which won't affect the tax payers."
The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, Economy
Minister George Stathakis and Productive Reconstruction Minister Panos
Skourletis.
Talks will continue with the institutions on a technical level on
Saturday at 11.00 (local time) and will include the following issues:
1) the minimum guaranteed income, 2) the bank recapitalization and 3)
early retirement.
[02] Main opposition blasts government's ‘resounding failure' in
tackling migration
ANA - MPA - Main opposition New Democracy on Friday accused the
government of a "resounding failure" on the issue of migration, saying
the previous government had already legislated for an authority to
manage EU aid funds which the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has ignored.
"[The prime minister] is confusing irregular migrants with refugees. He
confesses he has no plan to tackle the problem. He talks about
the establishment of a management authority for which the previous
government has already legislated, and he has ignored for six months,"
party spokesman Costas Karagounis said.
He added Tsipras is trying to blame Europe but didn't explain why he
hasn't utilized EU funds yet. Karagounis also criticized the government
for not continuing the program which returned migrants in their home
countries. "In the past two years, the same number of migrants who
entered Greece returned to their countries. He's not saying how many
migrants were returned in the last six months," he said.
|