Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-03-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] 'Painful' decision on Cyprus, but halts course to chaos

[02] FinMin Yannis Stournaras to brief President, parties

[01] 'Painful' decision on Cyprus, but halts course to chaos

The most important thing now, he continued, "is how we will help Cyprus stand on its feet again", and warned that "now is not the time for divisive slogans, or irresponsible cries...Now we look forward".

"Cyprus has worked miracles many times, and will do so again. It has the ability to take advantage of its unique position and its wealth-producing resources to return soon to prosperity and growth," the Greek government spokesman added.

PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos accused the eurozone of inability to assess all the parameters of the Cypriot crisis, charging that the majority of the eurozone, led by Germany, imposed a "punitive" solution on Cyprus, thus turning "a banking and fiscal crisis into a national tribulation".

Venizelos expressed his wholehearted support for the Cypriot Hellenism and stressed that averting possible adverse international-political repercussions from the latest economic developments is the primary concern.

On the stance of the Greek political parties, he said that the conclusions have been reached on which is the responsible, progressive and patriotic stance, while regarding the Greek issues he stressed that the national strategy voted for by the Greek people in the June 2012 elections leads to national recovery.

Venizelos said that "our thoughts today, day of the national anniversary, are with the Cypriot people who are experiencing, in an extreme way, the conversion of a banking and fiscal crisis into a national tribulation".

"We are at the side of Cypriot Hellenism with all our being, and our first concern is to avert possible adverse international-political consequences of the latest economic developments. The international existence and security of Cyprus is a fundamental national priority for Greece. It should have been a fundamental priority for Europe as well, which, as the Eurozone, proved incapable of assessing all the parameters of the Cypriot crisis," Venizelos said.

"The Eurozone, in which prevail the well-known correlations, with Germany at their center, selected Cyprus as a field for 'punishment and teaching a lesson'. The reasons are not credit or fiscal related, but primarily symbolic, and this choice was made despite the cost it could have for the European credit system," Venizelos continued.

"The Cypriot political forces will make their own assessment of the handlings, not only during the final phase but of the entire critical period. We in Greece, I believe, had already drawn our conclusions on what is the responsible, secure, progressive and truly patriotic stance and what the limits of demagogy and populism are," he said.

"The Greek people have in the last years been living the painful experience of the crisis, recession and unemployment. However, it knows very well that a better and safer alternative solution did not, and does not, exist. The national strategy that the Greek people ratified last June leads to national recovery, on three conditions: truth, unity and work," the PASOK leader concluded.

Democratic Left (DIMAR) on Monday expressed its solidarity with the sorely-tried people of Cyprus over the "painful" decision of the Eurogroup "which denotes the prevalence of conservative policies that undermine unity and solidarity in the EU".

"Cyprus' misadventure annuls the propaganda myths of unilateral solutions that lead out of the eurozone," DIMAR said, adding that it considers the achievement of a solution inside the euro as a necessary choice, since "only in this way can Cyprus avert economic and political isolation and bankruptcy".

He described as positive that fact that deposits in Cypriot banks of up to 100,000 euro are guaranteed and the protection of deposits in the Cypriot banks' branches in Greece, together with the preservation of the jobs.

"Cyprus remains a part of the struggle for a change of policies in the EU so that the European idea may be rejuvenated in the conscience of the peoples, and the economic and political unification may be advanced with decisive steps," DIMAR concluded.

[02] FinMin Yannis Stournaras to brief President, parties

At 3:00 p.m. Stournaras will meet with Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras and at 3:45 p.m. with Communist Party of Greece (KKE) secretary general Aleka Papariga. Both meetings will be held at the party leaders' offices in Parliament.

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