Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-01-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Security issue on Cyprus 'complex', UN's Eide says

[02] Mitsotakis: Tsipras is gambling away the country's future

[01] Security issue on Cyprus 'complex', UN's Eide says

"We need to think outside the box and find other formulas that entail enough change for this to be perceived as real positive movement forward for the Greek Cypriots, while at the same time reassuring the Turkish Cypriots that the implementation will happen and it will be safe and secure for them," he said.

Eide said the Security Council's role was extremely important and did not rule out the possibility that the Council will invite the leaders of the island's two communities to the UN to brief the Council members.

In response to questions about the Security Council's participation in conferences, however, he said there was no precedent for this. He noted that all participants "agreed to this format, thinking it was the right one."

On when the conference will convene at a high political level, Eide said there was no date, but that it was a matter of weeks, rather than months.

[02] Mitsotakis: Tsipras is gambling away the country's future

"Nobody knows what the government is negotiating on. On the one side, the government is demonizing the IMF and on the other it begs it to participate in the [bailout] program. At the same time, it hides the truth, which is that it has taken on commitments and that the more it delays the more we lose our credibility and [the creditors] demands increase. Mr. Tsipras is gambling away Greece's future. All he cares about is staying in power at all costs and by any means. In the end, he will accept everything," Mitsotakis said.

He also called on Greeks to rally behind him, regardless of what they voted in the previous elections.

"We're ready to govern well and express all the citizens who are turning their backs on populism and lies. Our mandate is to build a large center-right party that will unite and not divide citizens. People from different starting points and paths are joining us […] I'm determined to resolutely continue ND's opening towards society," he said.

Commenting on the interrupted talks between the government and the country's creditors on concluding the second program review, Mitsotakis said any new delay will add new burdens for Greeks.

"The conclusion of the program review is a necessary precondition to gain access to the ECBs quantitative easing program and mainly to avoid facing a credit event in June," he said. "We're reliving 2015. In 2014, Alexis Tsipras torpedoed the fifth review, now as a prime minister he torpedoes his own second review. The government is playing with fire, it is fighting imaginary windmills and reaping the storms it sowed."

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