Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-04-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] ND leader Samaras: Exit from the crisis still possible without any sacrifices

[02] EU Finance Ministers: There is not other plan but Greece to remain in the eurozone

[01] ND leader Samaras: Exit from the crisis still possible without any sacrifices

Samaras charged the government that it stopped the country's effort to exit from the crisis which was as he said on an exit course before the general elections, and estimated that the exit is still possible without more sacrifices but with political interventions that will give a breather to the people.

"We have succeeded to receive a precautionary support line" said Samaras adding "during our governance never occurred salary or pension payment issue. We have sent away these ghosts" he said adding that "these ghosts destroy the country's image".

Referring to speculations on early general elections he said "Elections mean mandate for the drachma. Even if they (SYRIZA) win them, they will tell you the same, 'we will continue the dialogue from where we have stopped'. Elections mean drachma and that will be our catastrophe. We will prevent it and we will press the government to change policy. The country needs prospect and hope. We were not scaremongering, we were telling the truth. SYRIZA said a lot of lies" he said.

Moreover, Samaras estimated that "we can exit for good from the memorandum and the crisis provided we change policy" adding that "if the good course was not interrupted we would have already got out of the crisis'.

[02] EU Finance Ministers: There is not other plan but Greece to remain in the eurozone

"There is no plan B or C or D for Greece (exit from the eurozone)" said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin after the end of the EU Finance Ministers meeting in Riga on Saturday. The same statement made upon his arrival to Ecofin, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici.

The Slovenian Finance Minister Dusan Mramor said that with his reference on Friday for a plan B he did not referred to a possible Greek exit form the eurozone but to the difficulties that exist in the deliberations and the need for another procedure.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaueble when asked if he agrees with Chancellor Angela Merkel that she will do everything in order Greece to remain in the eurozone, he answered positively adding that it is not certain that the Chancellor's determination is enough.

At a question on the so-called plan B he did not give a clear answer.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis was sharply criticised on Friday on the delay that according to his counterparts, exists in Greece's negotiations with the institutions. Varoufakis said that Greece is not responsible for whatever delays and insinuated that some dogmatic obsessions of specific countries of the eurozone are also responsible for the delays.

However, diplomatic sources recognised on Saturday in Riga that the procedure followed recently in Greece's negotiations with the lenders is at a point problematic and there must be corrective actions as soon as possible in order the agreement to be reached until May 11. "The solution is not of course the return to the troika" said the same sources adding however that "even eternity does not last forever".

On his part, Austrian Finance Minister Hans Georg Schelling speaking on Saturday to the press expressed the certainty that within the next weeks will be an agreement with Greece "It is up to Greece" he said adding "I hope Mr. Varoufakis to have received the message Eurogroup sent him yesterday".

Finally, diplomatic sources said that Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis had a meeting with European Commissioner Moscovici on the sidelines of the Ecofin in Riga. The governor of the Bank of Greece Yannis Stournaras is also in Riga who had the opportunity to meet with European Central Bank president Mario Draghi and with Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem.

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