Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Eurogroup's agreement is the most crucial step for the conclusion of programme review, gov't spokesman says

[02] Greece presents Energy Exchange project

[03] I have confidence in Tsipras and his financial team, says europarliament VP Papadimoulis to ANA

[01] Eurogroup's agreement is the most crucial step for the conclusion of programme review, gov't spokesman says

He accused main opposition New Democracy of not being affected by these positive developments and insisting on a paradoxical line of questioning reality itself and continuing to invest in failure.

Following an in principle agreement at the Eurogroup and the return of the technical staff in Athens after Clean Monday in order to conclude the technical agreement "we are entering an equally critical phase of the negotiation: the phase of the medium-term plans on the debt and the primary surpluses."

The government spokesman underlined that Germany must become more realistic and take back its irrational demand for 3.5 percent primary surpluses for a decade and adopt a constructive stance that will lead to an agreement for a Greek debt relief.

He underlined that the government's aim is a comprehensive agreement so that the country refinances its debt without the help of the official sector in 2018.

[02] Greece presents Energy Exchange project

Commenting on negotiations over energy issues, Stathakis expressed his confidence that despite disagreements currently prevailing, "we will reach an agreement," and noted that "pressure to sell PPC's electricity production units is not in our agenda now".

The Greek minister stressed that the energy market operated positively during the recent NOME auction and noted that an existing agreement envisages a specific timetable to achieve a goal to reduce PPC's market share in the domestic retail market.

Stathakis, accompanied by the chairman and CEO of the Operator of Electricity Market (LAGIE), Mihalis Filippou and the CEO of Hellenic Exchanges Group Socratis Lazaridis, presented -during a joint news conference- the Energy Exchange project, expected to begin operations in mid-2018.

The aim is to strengthen competition and transparency in the market with direct benefits of reducing energy costs and ensuring better prices for households and enterprises, improving energy supply safety and raising the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy mix.

The Energy Exchange will have four different markets (futures, pre-session, intra-day and arbitrage) and will replace the current model of so-called obligatory market. NOME contracts will be listed in the market.

Filippou said the goal of the Exchange was to leave behind regulatory mechanisms creating more problems than they solved and to avoid past phenomena, such as a deficit that burdened suppliers and consumers.

The two agencies (LAGIE and Hellenic Exchanges) signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of the market, with technical assistance offered by the European Commission.

[03] I have confidence in Tsipras and his financial team, says europarliament VP Papadimoulis to ANA

"Yesterday at the Eurogroup meeting a positive step was made that annuls the destabilisation and political stepback scenarios. Speed and effectiveness from Greece and the lenders is needed now for the conclusion of the second review as well as the clarification of the 'fiscal roadmap' on the debt and the primary surpluses after 2018. This will allow us to participate in the quantitative easing programme in spring and get free the memoranda's supervision in August 2018. I have confidence in the prime minister and our financial team that are doing their work very well", stated Papadimoulis.

I am certain the parliament's majority that supports the government is solid and stable. I can't imagine that there will be a deputy (from the 153 government MPs) that will want to overthrow Tsipras to bring Mitsotakis (Kyriakos, main opposition New Democracy leader)to the government.

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