Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-01-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras: The government will not succumb to unreasonable demands

[02] n the negotiations there will be victories and defeats, FinMin Tsakalotos says

[03] BoG head Stournaras optimistic that Greece will succeed

[01] PM Tsipras: The government will not succumb to unreasonable demands

"We will fully meet our commitments, but we will not accept injustices," he underlined.

The Greek prime minister said that 2016 will mark the return after six years of recession. "A new page will open for Greece," he noted. "In 2016, Greece will exit the crisis and will recover," he stressed adding that major institutional reforms will also be implemented.

Regarding the scenarios for an ecumenical government, he described them as "midsummer night dream," assuring that the parliamentary majority is firm and that the government will complete its four-year term. He added that these scenarios are promoted by the bankrupt political system and will be proven wrong.

He estimated that the deputies that will vote for the bill on the social security reforms will be more than 153. "The voting of the bill is a vote of confidence to the next generations that are entitled to social protection," he stressed.

[02] n the negotiations there will be victories and defeats, FinMin Tsakalotos says

"In the negotiations there will be victories and defeats," he said and confirmed that the institutions are asking for additional measures for the period 2016-2018.

On the social security system, Tsakalotos said: "There are distortions that must be corrected, specific cases that should be reviewed so that the social security system becomes sustainable in the medium term."

Regarding the possible withdrawal of the IMF from the program, Tsakalotos underlined that "the issue is not a Greek problem." He noted that on one hand the IMF has very harsh neoliberal positions on the economic and social issues so it would be difficult to support a left government and on the other hand it puts pressure on the Europeans for a favourable solution on the Greek debt.

[03] BoG head Stournaras optimistic that Greece will succeed

The Greek economy at the beginning of 2016 is at a critical crossroad, Stournaras said and explained: "It is ahead of the first evaluation of the new financial program which includes two very important and sensitive prior actions: the completion of the social security reforms and the rationalisation of taxes on farmers."

He also said that the negotiation for the conclusion of the evaluation will have to be completed at a Eurogroup level as the situation in the European Union makes it highly dangerous to transfer it at an EU Council summit level.

Stournaras expressed optimism that Greece is very likely to succeed despite the mistakes of the past by both the Greek side and the creditors.

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