Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-04-02 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] PM Tsipras: Agreement only with substantial measures for the debt [02] An open wound closes with the delivery of the new motorways, says Infrastructures Min. Spirtzis [03] We are entering the final stretch, says gov't spokesman Tzanakopoulos [04] ND will change the climate in the economy, claims party's vice president Hatzidakis [05] Historic buildings to turn blue on Sunday for the World Autism Awareness Day [06] Dimitris Koutsoumbas re-elected KKE's secretary general --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] PM Tsipras: Agreement only with substantial measures for the debt Whatever solution is linked inevitably with "substantial measures for the debt" said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a statement to the Sunday edition of Ethnos newspaper. As he noted "it is the first time that we do not implement measures expecting to receive something afterwards but the opposite. The agreement will close, we will vote measures and offset measures that will be applied after 2019 and only if, in the meantime, effective measures for the debt exist and their implementation has started" concluded Tsipras. [02] An open wound closes with the delivery of the new motorways, says Infrastructures Min. Spirtzis An "open wound", the dangerous national roads, closes with the delivery of the new motorways, stated Infrastructures and Transport Minister Christos Spirtzis in an interview to Athens Macedonian News Agency on Sunday. We are, in many cases, ahead of the schedule tabled to the bodies of the European Commission, added Spirtzis. On the negotiation with the institutions he clarified that the aim remains the "mandate we have received from the Greek people, to conclude the programme and get the country out of the memoranda and the obligations deriving from the loan contracts". Referring to the energy, Spirtzis said that it is one of the country's crucial strategic sectors which can't be given away. [03] We are entering the final stretch, says gov't spokesman Tzanakopoulos There will be developments in the next days, we are entering the final stretch, estimated government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos referring to the agreement on the second review in an interview with SKAI TV on Sunday. He urged Bank of Greece (BoG) governor Yiannis Stournaras to stop hiding behind his institutional position and stop playing politics. In the same interview, Tzanakopoulos clarified that the government will not ask for central banker's resignation and underlined that in the last period is observed that the Democratic Alliance and main opposition New Democracy's views coincide. He denied that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble asked for a 35 percent reduction in pensions. "The German finance ministry never got involved with technical issues". Tzanakopoulos said that there is no crisis in the government adding that the different political views in a party are a healthy phenomenon. Finally, he said that he sees no reason for early elections (before 2019) because, as he claimed, elections would be disastrous for the country, the economy and the society. [04] ND will change the climate in the economy, claims party's vice president Hatzidakis Main opposition New Democracy (ND) vice president Costis Hatzidakis expressed his certainty that "ND will change the climate in the economy", in an interview with the Sunday edition of Eleftheros Typos newspaper. Hatzidakis explained that his party "will restore the climate of confidence because it will be a normal European government that will send friendly signs to the investments and the entrepreneurship". He estimated that either the second review closes or not, only few things will change in the economy with the current government. "As long as the economy is at this condition the political developments remain open. The current government loves the authority but will not last long". ND's vice president also accused the government on PPC's issue " they can't overcome their obsessions" he said and explained that "they could exchange the liberalisation of the energy with a lighter package for the tax free and the pensions. But they do not do it". [05] Historic buildings to turn blue on Sunday for the World Autism Awareness Day The National Theatre of Piraeus will be dressed in blue on Sunday to participate in a series of events of the Greek Society of for the protection of People with Autism in order to celebrate the World Autism Awareness Day. It is a special action included in the context of the global initiative "Light it up Blue" during which hundreds of buildings and historic monuments throughout the world will be illuminated in blue with aim the awareness and the people's information on autism. The Hadrian's Arch in Athens, the City Hall of Ioannina and the Zosimaia Historic Library in Ioannina will also turn blue on Sunday. [06] Dimitris Koutsoumbas re-elected KKE's secretary general Communist Party (KKE) 20th Congress concluded on Sunday with the election of the members of the new Central Committee and the Central Financial Control Committee. The new Central Committee, in its first meeting, re- elected secretary general of the party's central committee Dimitris Koutsoumbas.