Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-04-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Next days are critical for the negotiations

[02] The programme review will soon be concluded, Interior Min Skourletis says

[03] Migrants and refugees arrivals at low levels in the last three days

[01] Next days are critical for the negotiations

Both sides are close to a staff level agreement, according to government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos and ANA's sources who also stressed that political initiatives are required so that progress is achieved. The progress can only be hindered by creditors' pretextual reasons, Tzanakopoulos added.

For that reason, the government's efforts at a political and diplomatic level are intensified so that the situation is soon cleared out.

Meanwhile, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk will be in Athens on Wednesday and will be received the Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos. He will also meet with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

On Friday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will also visit Athens for contacts with President Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Tsipras.

[02] The programme review will soon be concluded, Interior Min Skourletis says

The minister explained that the delays on the programme review are a result of the elections in Europe and the IMF and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble's stance. Skourletis stressed that we have to examine the overall package of measures that will also include the offset measures in order to evaluate the agreement.

He accused the Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras that he supports the IMF and Schaeble's positions with his statements. As he said, Stournaras is behaving as a political person and not as a central banker adding that his stance is provocative and undermining.

"We are trying to reduce the negative impact of a one-sided agreement," he said referring to Public Power Corporation (PPC) and defended his positions which are against the depreciation of the company.

The minister accused the creditors of not delivering on their promises as far as it regards PPC.

Regarding the possibility of elections, Skourletis said: "I don't think there is possibility of elections."

[03] Migrants and refugees arrivals at low levels in the last three days

23 persons arrived on the island of Chios, 26 migrants and refugees on the island of Samos while no arrivals were recorded on Lesvos.

According to police figures, on Monday 8,589 migrants and refugees who have sought asylum and their request has been not examined yet are stranded on Lesvos, Chios and Samos.

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