Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-07-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras: We want a Europe of democracy and solidarity

[02] President Pavlopoulos says Greece will remain in eurozone, calls political leaders' council meeting

[03] New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras resigns

[04] Merkel, Hollande call for EU summit on Greece on Tuesday

[05] FinMin Varoufakis: Tomorrow we extend hand of cooperation to our partners

[01] PM Tsipras: We want a Europe of democracy and solidarity

"At this time the place needs more than ever unity in order to overcome the difficulties," said Tsipras.

Referring to the outcome of the referendum, the Prime Minister stressed that "the Greek people have changed the question of dialogue in Europe. The question 'in or out of the euro' must go for good. The people gave an answer to what Europe they want and replied that they want a Europe of solidarity."

"Europe cannot be a one-way road of memoranda and austerity," he underlined.

He stressed that the debt issue will now be set at the negotiating table adding that the IMF report confirms the Greek position on the need to restructure the debt.

Tsipras said first priority is to restore economic stability and the operation of the banking system. He expressed the confidence that "the ECB fully understands the situation." "We are ready to continue negotiations on the basis of social justice and the transfer of the burden from the weak to financially strong ones," he stated.

"There are no easy solutions, but there are fair, viable solutions, provided that both sides want them," according to the prime minister. He added that the mandate is not a mandate for rupture, but a mandate for a viable solution, which he will safeguard without delays.

[02] President Pavlopoulos says Greece will remain in eurozone, calls political leaders' council meeting

The President noted that Greece's will to remain in the eurozone and Europe is also non-negotiable. He stressed the importance of "forging our national unity and unanimity to shape a healthy and strong national front to restore normalcy in the economy and to immediately claim a solution to the problems in the negotiations with our partners."

Pavlopoulos agreed with Tsipras' statement of ending the "strangulation of the economy" and added that Greek proposals will be realistic and logical. "We're in a position to promote immediately a meaningful negotiation to find a reliable solution and an honorable compromise for the good of Europe," the President said. "They must all understand that Europe goes through compromise rather than through divisions."

Tsipras also asked Pavlopoulos to convene the council of political leaders, which the President accepted.

[03] New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras resigns

Samaras called on New Democracy deputy and former Parliament President Evangelos Meimarakis to lead temporarily the party.

[04] Merkel, Hollande call for EU summit on Greece on Tuesday

Both leaders agreed that the Greek people's vote 'must be respected", Berlin said in an announcement.

[05] FinMin Varoufakis: Tomorrow we extend hand of cooperation to our partners

"The specific ultimatum was the lenders' rejection of any meaningful debate," he told journalists after the results of the referendum were announced.

He then accused them of wanting to close Greek banks "from almost the first moment to humiliate us on these two fronts: of austerity and of the unsustainable debt."

The minister noted that the country's lenders wanted to force the Greek government to make "a repentance statement for criticizing the failed memorandums and by articulating for the first time at the Eurogroup scientific discourse, to which they had no retort."

He also said the ‘No' vote will be the tool with which Greece will extend a hand of cooperation to the country's creditors. "From tomorrow, with this brave ‘no' which the people endowed us with, by ignoring fear created by the Greek banks and the media of the oligarchs, we extend a hand of cooperation to our lenders. We'll invite them one by one to find common ground," Varoufakis said.

He said he plans to look at the IMF report which confirms that Greek debt needs restructuring and "face positively" the stance which the ECB kept last week, "a stance which shows our common anxiety for the need to find a mutually beneficial solution."

He also said he will face positively the European Commission "which wants, like us, to play a positive role in healing the Greek wound hurting Europe. Starting tomorrow, Europe, whose heart beats in Greece tonight, will start healing its wounds."

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