Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-10-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece's next elections will be held in 2019, Tsipras says

[02] Regling to ANA: Greece could tap the markets before its aid program ends

[03] Greece will not discuss its sovereign rights, says Alt. Defence minister

[01] Greece's next elections will be held in 2019, Tsipras says

He also pointed out that opinion polls in the past two years had steadily put ND in the lead but the election results had shown something quite different. "I prefer winning elections to opinion polls," he quipped.

In the autumn of 2019, the government would call on voters to compare the state of Greece when the present government took over, with deep recession and high unemployment, and the state that Tsipras said he hoped his government would deliver, with strong growth rates and falling unemployment.

At that time, the prime minister said, voters would be able to judge the government on its work as a whole. He admitted that this was an ambitious goal but said he was optimistic.

According to sources, Tsipras had been asked about the possibility of a government reshuffle and whether this would take place in response to the government's poor showing in opinion polls.

Tsipras was meeting with EU journalists visiting Greece under the auspices of the EU Representation in Greece for talks dominated by the refugee crisis and European affairs. Posting in his Twitter account about the meeting, the prime minister noted that:

"In the framework of globalisation and the EU, a left strategy is to change the balance of power internationally, not only domestically. It is important to replace austerity with a growth-oriented agenda to the benefit of society and economy. It is necessary to replace irregular and dangerous migration routes with safe and regular ones."

[02] Regling to ANA: Greece could tap the markets before its aid program ends

The ESM chief also said it will be good for Greece to start connecting gradually with the markets before its aid program ends in 2018 - sometime in 2017 - adding that this aim is achievable if the government sticks to its reform agenda. The full interview is as follows:

ANA: Following today's decision by ESM to disburse 2.8 billion euros to Greece, you stated that "If the government continues to implement the reforms agreed in the ESM program, growth of the Greek economy could accelerate next year and the government may be able to start issuing bonds again next year". Why is it necessary for Greece to try to finance itself in the markets before the end of the program?

Regling: "Greece has not been on the market much since 2010. Therefore it would be good that the government starts to connect progressively with investors before the ESM program ends in 2018 and new ESM loans are not available anymore. If the government implements the agreed reform agenda of the ESM program in a determined manner investors will regain confidence in Greece. This is what happened in the middle of 2014 when the Greek government of that time was able to successfully issue a 3-year and a 5-year bond."

ANA: When do you think it is reasonable for Greece to start issuing bonds next year and with what kind of maturities?

Regling: "The precise timing in the course of 2017 and the maturities of the bonds will be decided by the Greek debt management office in Athens."

ANA: By the end of the program Greece will have to finance itself completely in the markets? Do you think that this is realistic?

Regling: "It is the aim of all programs that borrowing countries are able to finance themselves completely on the market again. This has worked well for Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus. These countries reentered the market well before the end of their respective programs. I am convinced that this is also realistic for Greece, provided the government shows strong ownership in implementing the reform agenda it agreed to under the ESM program. The government will be helped by the fact that around two thirds of the Greek public debt will be held by the rescue funds ESM and EFSF at the end of the ESM program in 2018. That means that our very favorable lending conditions will apply to the overwhelming part of Greek public debt for a long time to come because of the very low interest rates and the very long maturities of our loans to Greece."

[03] Greece will not discuss its sovereign rights, says Alt. Defence minister

"At any case, we do not put on any table for talks or negotiations issues concerning the country's sovereignty. We call on everyone who uses irredentist rhetoric either for domestic or foreign use to avoid referring to Greece which, as a sovereign state does not claim anything, but neither does it discuss any such issues pertaining to its national sovereignty," Vitsas told parliament, responding to questions raised by a main opposition MP on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent statements which appear to question the Treaty of Lausanne.

The minister's statement was made during a debate to ratify the country's agreement with NATO.

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