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Wednesday, 4 December 2024 | ||
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-12-11Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Debate in parliament on state budget very useful, says gov't spox TzanakopoulosGovernment spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos in an interview to Athens Macedonian News Agency on Sunday, a day after the voting of 2017 state budget by the Greek parliament, called extremely useful the debate in the parliament because it revealed the government and the main opposition's different political plans.He accused main opposition New Democracy and its leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis of scaremongering adding that he insists on early elections without any reason. On the negotiation with the institutions, he recognised that "some further discussions may be necessary" which as he claimed "will not disturb our political planning". However, he underlined IMF's representative Jerry Rice public insistence on the need for lower surpluses adding that "What remains to be seen is to see IMF essentially pressing towards this direction in the negotiations with the institutions". "Calmness and no panic, but without a single step of retreat on issues of questioning our sovereignty rights" suggests against Turkey's provocations. On the refugees issue he underlined that the residents of the Aegean islands hold high the European values. [02] FM Kotzias in Brussels on Monday and TuesdayForeign Minister Nikos Kotzias will be in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday to participate in EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and in the EU General Affairs Council (GAC).The FAC agenda includes EU-Africa relations and the main parameters of the issue of managing mixed migration flows, with emphasis on the EU's cooperation with migrants' countries of origin. During the working luncheon, the Foreign Ministers will focus on the humanitarian situation in Syria, while Mr. Kotzias will present Greece's positions on the management of the Syrian crisis, and first and foremost the need to end the hostilities. The GAC is expected to focus on issues concerning EU enlargement and the stabilisation and association agreements with third countries, particularly with Albania, FYROM, Serbia and Turkey, while there will also be a discussion of the preparations for the upcoming meeting of the European Council (15-16 December). Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |