Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-01-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] IMF must clarify its position on proposed pension reforms, Tsakalotos says

[02] National Opera stages Giacomo Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly'

[03] Greek defence minister meets Cyprus counterpart Fokaides in Athens

[01] IMF must clarify its position on proposed pension reforms, Tsakalotos says

In a press conference with government spokeswoman Olga Gerovassili, Tsakalotos warned the review of the Greek programme must not be allowed to drag on, otherwise the targets will not be met and the country will be unable to make the switch from a vicious to a virtuous cycle of growth.

"It is in the interests of all sides that there should not be a new Greek crisis," he added.

Tsakalotos noted that the Greek government has no problem with the IMF's participation in the programme and is meeting the commitments it has made.

"We understand that the IMF has raised the bar high for both the pension reforms and fiscal issues," he said, adding that the government was prepared to negotiate and discuss.

At the same time, he urged the IMF to clarify whether the objections ostensibly leaked to the press, such as reports that it objects to the proposed pension reforms, are its own leaks or else to officially deny them.

The minister said that the main issues in the negotiation are pension reforms, tax issues and fiscal targets. On the first, he noted that the government had its own lines that it would not cross - such as that pensions could not be cut for the 12th-13th consecutive occasion. He noted that the government was open to discussion and compromise in order for the numbers to work and a solution to be find, provided the IMF was willing to wrap up the discussion in a reasonable amount of time.

He noted that the IMF should understand this and had shown itself opposed to procyclic measures that deepened recession.

Tsakalotos appeared confident that the first review can be wrapped up in three to six weeks, while the negotiation on debt relief could stretch up to three months. Asked if the country had the cash reserves to meet its obligations if the negotiations drag on, the minister answered affirmatively but warned that delays could create a bad climate and set back the country's economic recovery.

On the additional figures requested by Greece's partners at the Eurogroup on Thursday, Tsakalotos said these chiefly concerned fiscal data for 2016 and the Medium-Term fiscal programme, including tax income, and actuarial data on pensions, which indicated the viability of the system. He confirmed that the figures on the Medium-Term Fiscal Programme had already been sent to the institutions, and that additional figures will be sent soon.

[02] National Opera stages Giacomo Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly'

An opera in three acts, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, it is based on the 1898 short story of the same name by John Luther Long.

The leading role Cio-Cio-san is sung by sopranos Tselia Kostea and Rafaella Angeletti on alternate nights on January 20, 22, 23, 24 and 27. The opera is directed by Nikos Petropoulos and prices for tickets range from 20 to 70 euros (12 euros for students and children). Tickets are on sale at the National Opera box office (59-61 Academias, tel 210.361.2461/364.3725), the Athens Concert Hall box office and online at www.nationalopera.gr and www.megaron.gr.

[03] Greek defence minister meets Cyprus counterpart Fokaides in Athens

The two ministers noted that a solution to the Cyprus issue demanded the complete withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops from the island.

Fokaides, on his part, said that the anachronistic guarantor system could not continue to exist in a contemporary EU member-state and called on Turkey to start "acting as a modern state, if it wishes to join the European family, on terms characterised by good neighbour relations and the rules of international law."

Kammenos noted that hope for a Cyprus solution was apparent for the first time, while stressing that UN resolutions should be implemented everywhere and not just where there were fossil fuels. He pointed out that the Turkish army could not participate in a Cyprus solution and that Cyprus could act autonomously, without guarantors, creditors and protectors.

In a message aiming at the upcoming EU defence ministers' council Amsterdam, Kammenos urged the EU to recognise the common European borders as part of planning a new strategy on defence issues. The EU should not simply observe Turkish fighter aircraft violations of national air space, which were also violations of European air space, he added, nor put up with Turkey's refusal to recognise an EU member-state.

The two ministers repeated a pledge for cooperation in fighting terrorism in order to establish a climate of security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Kammenos noted the need for cooperation with third countries, such as Russia, Egypt, Israel and Lebanon, in the fight against ISIS and terrorism.

He also announced upcoming joint initiatives with friendly countries in the region, such as Egypt and Israel, to extend the Greece-Cyprus joint defence doctrine.

The Greek minister also referred to a ceremony on Tuesday to receive the rediscovered remains of six Greek soldiers that fell during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, who are being returned by Cypriot authorities. A twin ceremony to hand over the remains to Greece, attended by Greece's Alternate Defence Minister Dimitris Vitsas, was held in Nicosia on Monday. The five men of the Greek Force of Cyprus and one commando, who fell while defending Cyprus during the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the inter-community clashes of 1963-1965 were until recently considered missing. Their remains were exhumed in the free and occupied sections of Cyprus and identified via DNA testing.

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