Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-04-06

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] IMF has not asked for measures in 2018, government source says

[02] Brussels sources: Effort underway for agreement on Greece in Valletta

[03] Much-awaited international exhibition documenta 14 kicks off in Athens on April 8

[01] IMF has not asked for measures in 2018, government source says

According to the source, the IMF was pushing for the cuts to the 'personal difference' in pensions to take place in 2019, in one single installment, whereas the government wants to break them up into two installments, one in 2019 and one in 2020. The same official revealed, however, that supplementary pensions were back on the table in the negotiations, as a way of making the cuts to main pensions less painful.

Asked if the IMF will withdraw tough positions demanding an increase in the maximum limit for mass dismissals and a return of lockouts, the source said that labour issues were "always open until the entire agreement was concluded."

The Greek mission, which will include Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and Alternate Finance Minister George Chouliarakis, is to depart from Athens for Malta at 18:30 on Thursday, in order to participate in Friday's Eurogroup in Valletta.

The government official expressed optimism about the talks in Valletta, saying: "I think we will reach a conclusion tomorrow." Asked if there might be contacts with the institutions in Malta, the same official said it made sense that there should be some meeting before the Eurogroup, while Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem may have something to relay to the parties involved after his meeting with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.

[02] Brussels sources: Effort underway for agreement on Greece in Valletta

Regarding the new "stumbling block" in the talks that appeared on Wednesday, one source said it was because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had expressed renewed doubts about the reliability of the contingency mechanism or 'fiscal cutter' in 2018, calling for an early implementation of austerity cuts to pensions and the tax-free income allowance.

One of the sources that spoke to the ANA pointed to Berlin as the 'mastermind' behind the new IMF demands, saying that it wanted to reopen the issue of the 2018 primary surplus target of 3.5 pct and whether this will be met. As a result, the source did not rule out the possibility that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble will openly ask for the implementation of cuts as early as 2018 on Friday.

Brussels sources also noted Germany's "displeasure" at a change of stance from the Greek side in recent days and that the IMF's stance since the beginning of the week has been "strange," while pointing out that Greece has also reopened chapters in the negotiation that were considered agreed upon in the past.

One European official noted that efforts were being made to overcome the difficulties before Friday's Eurogroup, while another said that "there is still hope for Friday" and that the Brussels' side has not ruled out a new round of contacts before the Eurogroup.

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem has said his goal is to present a "political agreement in principle" to the Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Valletta that will open the way for the return of the institutions to Athens to conclude a staff-level agreement on the second review.

The European Commission through its spokesperson for financial issues Annika Breidthardt, said that it was in contact with Greek authorities and the other institutions, while expressing conviction that a deal can be reached by Friday.

Breidthardt underlined that all the partners must continue to engage "in good faith" in order reach an agreement for completing the second review as soon as possible, expressing hope that progress can be made in Valletta.

[03] Much-awaited international exhibition documenta 14 kicks off in Athens on April 8

Visitors are invited to wander into small and larger venues to watch the newly conceived work of the more than 160 artists who prepared them for the event.

"What did we learn from Athens? That we all must abandon our prejudices and plunge into the darkness of not knowing. We started with these steps three years ago, preparing documenta 14 in Athens and we got here, at the opening," Artistic Director Adam Szymczyk said at a press conference in Athens on Thursday.

The program starts with the official opening at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) on Saturday, by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following an invitation by President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Among the events in Saturday (April 8), Ross Birrell & David Harding, along with the Athens State Orchestra and the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra (SEPO), will play Henryk Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, Symphony of Sorrowful Song, at the Athens Concert Hall (20:30).

The music performance is a co-production of documenta 14, The Athens State Orchestra, and the Athens Concert Hall and part of the event's proceeds will benefit the initiative of the Athens State Orchestra's "Pink Box" for refugee children as well as the programs of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for refugees both within and beyond Greek borders.

A performance by Nikhil Chopra titled "Drawing a Line through Landscape" will be held at Archimedous Street 15 (Moschato) and will continue on Sunday.

On Sunday (April 9), the much-talked-about cavalcade "Athens–Kassel Ride: The Transit of Hermes" by Ross Birrell will start at St. Sophia's Church of Acropolis, on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, at noon.

Annie Vigier and Franck Apertet (les gens d'Uterpan) prepared "Géographie-Athènes" (Geography-Athens), a performance which will be shown at EMST (4th floor), on 11:00-21:00.

The main exhibition venues will be open Tuesdays-Sundays, 11:00-21:00, and Thursdays 11:00-23:00. The individual opening hours and dates during Easter as well as ticket information on the events is found on documenta 14's website: http://www.documenta14.de/en/news/16741/inauguration-week-program

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article