Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-06-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] PMin NY for SI Council, meeting with UN chief

[02] Samaras: Greece could have avoided IMF

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PMin NY for SI Council, meeting with UN chief

Papandreou, who arrived in New York on Friday night, will head an SI working dinner on Sunday night and attend the SI Council's sessions that will run through Tuesday early afternoon.

On the sidelines of the Council meetings, the Greek premier is scheduled to meet a number of foreign heads of state and government belonging to the left-wing camp, as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday (midnight Greek time). The meeting with the UN chief will also be attended by Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and Greece's permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Anastasis Mitsialis.

Papandreou is also due to be interviewed by the U.S. media and also by the Greek-American media at the Greek Press and Communications Office.

The Greek premier is to chair the third session of the SI Council on Tuesday morning before departing for Athens.

The Council agenda will focus on the key issues and priorities of our movement in regard to the global economy, as well as the continuation of the debate on Climate Change in advance of the COP16, and recent developments in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation.

[02] Samaras: Greece could have avoided IMF

In an interview with the Sunday edition of Eleftheros Typos newspaper, Samaras said that the government could have avoided taking recourse in the support mechanism if it had not "inflated" the 2009 deficit by at least 9 billion euros, had taken measures promptly, and had avoided defaming the country internationally.

He defended his decision to vote against the agreement with the 'troika' (European Commission, European Central Bank-ECB and International Monetary Fund-IMF) in parliament, and cited official documents of the Commission and IMF as well as international economists that all reach the conclusion that Greece is at risk of entering a vicious circle of recession as a result of the harsh austerity measures it has taken.

Samaras further rejected as "ludicrous" accusations that ND was trying to "capitalise" on a prospective failure of Greece's stability program, stressing that, if he were in the prime minister's position, he would be seeking a way of disengaging the country from the Memorandum with the troika and following a different mix of economic policy.

As for the parliamentary fact-finding commissions on the Siemens and Vatopedi monastery-state land swaps scandals, Samaras said that the deeper the cases are investigated, more evidence implicating PASOK cadres is uncovered.

On the national issues, Samaras said that when Greece is in a weak position, due to the economic crisis, it is not the most appropriate time to "close" the national fronts.

Turning to internal party affairs, the main opposition leader said that new people are being tried out, and promised "pleasant surprises" at the upcoming party Congress. He reiterated that all those who had hurt ND have no place in the party,

He further reiterated that, despite whatever their intentions were, independent MP and former ND foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis and Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader George Karatzaferis (who both voted in principle in favor of the government's austerity bill) had acted as side-guards for PASOK.

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Reactions to the changes in social security and labor relations, the National Health System (ESY) deficit and the lead-up to the main opposition New Democracy (ND) Congress were the main front-page items in Athens' Sunday newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Files on the civil servants - Will we finally find out how many, who and for what the public sector is paying for?

APOGEVMATINI: "Who are seeking the nominations for the regions and municipalities - The Kallikratis (public administration reform) plan is turning everything upside down in the November local government elections".

AVGHI: "Fire them, before they fire us".

AVRIANI: "16 billion euros taken out of Greek banks and secretly taken out of the country".

CHORA: "ND leader Antonis Samaras intensifying the clash with the government".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Changes ahead to the ND leadership team - One week before the Congress, Samaras opens up his cards to El. Typos".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "The big 5 billion euros scam in health: How much the 'piranhas' of the ESY and the Funds cost us each year".

ETHNOS: "Shock-therapy to the ESY with harsh cutbacks in expenditures".

KATHIMERINI: "Social security and labor relations plague the government - The conclusions of the troika (European Commission, European Central Bank-ECB and International Monetary Fund-IMF)".

LOGOS: "The social security changes complete the 'blow' against the working people - Bill to be tabled in parliament on Wednesday".

PARON: "Shock and Awe - Even the Papandreou-backing MPs have revolted..."

RIZOSPASTIS: "Ceaseless battle to the June 23 nationwide labor strike".

REALNEWS: " 'Movement' inside PASOK - Strong reactions by MPs over the...barbarity".

TO VIMA: "Special offers and closures: the two sides of the crisis - Merchants trying to attract consumers with mega-offers".

VRADYNI: "The new retirement ages - What is changing for mothers, 'heavy and hazardous' professions and civil service - The final changes to the social security system".

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