Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-02-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras to 'Stern' magazine: 'Greece will be a different country in six months'

[02] German FinMin: Greek government has irresponsible behaviour

[01] PM Tsipras to 'Stern' magazine: 'Greece will be a different country in six months'

The magazine followed Tsipras for two days in the Greek Parliament and at his office in the Maximos Mansion for a feature story ahead of Monday's Eurogroup meeting, and quoted him as saying he is open to dialogue and optimistic. "I support a solution where everyone wins, a win-win solution," he is quoted as saying, "I want to save Greece from a tragedy and protect Europe from being split apart."

Tsipras told journalists Andreas Albes, Ferry Batzoglou and Andreas Petzold, "We do not need new bailout loans." Following the cabinet meeting that began on Friday and ended in the early morning hours on Saturday, Tsipras told the three journalists that "instead of money we need time, to implement our plan for reforms; I promise you, Greece will be a different country in six months."

Stern mentioned that the bailout programme ends at the end of February, and if an agreement is not reached with its creditors - the European Commision, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund - Greece will face an economic collapse. It mentioned among other things that the social insurance system can hardly take care of the victims of the crisis, that 1.3 million people are without a job, and hundreds of thousands do not have medical insurance.

It said that Tsipras wants to deal with the heaviest repercussions of the crisis with a programme that according to his party SYRIZA will cost 12 billion euros; the programme will depend on the willingness of EU members, especially Germany, to reach a compromise.

Asked to comment on his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Brussels, Tsipras told the interviewers, "I met a polite human being. She is not as strict as one would expect from press reports." She is a realistic politician who does not wish to jeopardise Europe's future, he said. Speaking of the Eurogroup where a decision is expected to be finalised on Greece's fiscal programme, Tsipras said, "Monday's negotiation will be difficult, but I am optimistic - our power rests on the support of the Greek people."

[File photo, Tsipras (facing camer) with President of France Francois Hollande (R) before the start of a European Summit in Brussels, Belgium on February 12, 2015. ANA-MPA/Orestis Panagiotou]

[02] German FinMin: Greek government has irresponsible behaviour

In an interview to the German national radio on Monday, Schaeuble noted that the issue is not a compromise to be reached at the Eurogroup meeting on Monday but to "make Greece competitive again" adding that many of his colleagues in the European Union state that the standard of living in their countries is lower than Greece's.

Referring to the European social programmes proposed by the Greek side, Schaeuble noted that there no issue for discussion and called them 'waste of time'.

Germany does not want Greece's exit from the eurozone, underlined Schaeuble clarifying that if Greece wants to avoid it and to receive additional assistance from the EU, the Greek government should cover the minimum of the prerequisites. All eurozone countries are willing to help Greece to help itself. "The issue is if the Greeks want it to," he said adding that he believes that the new Greek government deals with the issue as 'a major poker game'.

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