Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-05-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Kotzias warns Organization of Islamic Cooperation to stay out of Greece's domestic issues

[02] Mitsotakis says government's 'positive measures' conceal tough measures for 2019-20

[03] Government introduces draft bill on recognition of gender identity

[01] Kotzias warns Organization of Islamic Cooperation to stay out of Greece's domestic issues

"Any third party that intervenes in Greece's internal affairs -something no country has the right to do- and does not implement the existing agreements between the EU and the OIC whereby one side does not have the right to intervene in the internal affairs of the other, will pay a price at European policies level," the minister said.

He was speaking at the presentation of a book by former PASOK minister Nikos Sifounakis' on the history of the Greek community of the Turkish islands of Gökçeada (known in Greek as Imvros) and Bozcaada (known as Tenedos).

"The time when some countries would condemn Greece falsely and based on lies put forth by a third country is gone," he added.

Discussing the lessons learned from the story of the two islands, he said "you cannot succeed in a negotiation when the other side does not have a cost," and mentioned as an example what is happening today with the OIC.

"Every year, Turkey goes [to the OIC] and raises the issue of a supposedly oppressed minority in Thrace and tries to raise an issue for the Dodecanese, claiming that there is a minority there as well. And we are speak with friendly countries who tell us 'yes, yes', but when it comes to voting they forget us," he said.

The minister said the behavior of those countries can only have a cost in their relations with the European Union, as there is an explicit agreement that one organization cannot interfere in the domestic affairs of the other.

[02] Mitsotakis says government's 'positive measures' conceal tough measures for 2019-20

The government announced those measures will be tabled in a separate bill from the deal with the institutions.

Speaking at private Alpha TV's newscast, he described the measures as a "veil [covering] the very tough package [of measures]" for 2019 and 2020.

"Our 'no' to the measures and counter-measures is absolute," he said, adding that if the income tax threshold must be lowered, the initial tax rate should be nine percent, not 20 percent.

"There will be pensioners who will lose the twelfth and eleventh pension, when some people promised them a thirteenth pension," he said and accused Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of "political deceit".

He also noted that the counter/positive measures will not benefit those hurt by the new austerity. "If elections had been held when we asked for them, we would have achieved a much better result in the negotiation," he continued.

Asked about the possibility of being asked by the International Monetary Fund to approve the measures, Mitsotakis said his party will not sign any commitment that goes beyond the third bailout program. "We won't commit to anything in writing and we won't vote any of the measures," he said.

[03] Government introduces draft bill on recognition of gender identity

"Every person has a right to the recognition of its gender identity. The relevant draft bill has been posted for public consultation," Tzanakopoulos said in a tweet, linking to the government website that presents the bill titled "Legal Recognition of Gender Identity - National Mechanism for Monitoring and Evaluating the Action Plan on the Rights of the Child".

The website is the following (in Greek): http://www.opengov.gr/ministryofjustice/?p=8078

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