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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-02-17
CONTENTS
[01] Reconstruction Min. Lafazanis: Gov't wants agreement, but rejects
extension of fiscal programme
[01] Reconstruction Min. Lafazanis: Gov't wants agreement, but rejects
extension of fiscal programme
ANA-MPA - This government is not seeking a rift with its bailout
partners, it wants Greece to stand up on its feet again, Productive
Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis
said in an interview to ANA-MPA published on Sunday.
Asked whether he believed an agreement could be reached, Lafazanis said
that "there will be no agreement if our so-called partners insist on
extending the existing fiscal programme - their name for the sinful
memorandum - in any form. Then, the partners - or, really, Germany -
will have made a conscious choice of a rift." He added that it would be
difficult for Germany to assume the burden of such a rift because the
repercussions will affect it directly.
"We are not seeking a rift," he added. "On the contrary, we want our
country to stand up on its own feet. We want to safeguard our national
independence, popular rule, the survival and future of our people, and,
along with all these, the rights of all working people and the peoples
of Europe. These goals are our plan, from beginning to end, and the
lines we draw."
The government he stressed was seeking an agreement with its creditors
that would "retain the government plan's unified nature and radical
direction". "SYRIZA's programme cannot be split, subdivided and separated
into 'good' and 'bad'," Lafazanis said, adding, "That does not mean, of
course, that we expect an agreement with the partners that will include
our programme in every wording. But what we are seeking is an agreement
that respects democracy in our country, is entirely compatible with
the programme approved by the Greek people and retains the government
programme's unified nature and radical direction as is."
Asked about the country's energy policy, the minister said that the
government was "looking for independent and multi-level international
energy links and relations from any of the four cardinal points which
can be planned and promoted without unilateral dependencies, based solely
on national interest and the interests of the Greek people."
[File photo]
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