Alexis Tsipras promised Greece “would fulfil its debt repayment obligations over the next two weeks”
Greece has presented its latest list of reform proposals to its Eurozone partners. This new revised plan would prevent Greece running out of money. Although the Greek Economy minister appeared confident about a deal next week, there so far is no sign of a deal soon. The former Greek Prime Minister Samaras said he would be ready to help the government to avoid a Grexit.
The ongoing negotiations between Greece and its EU creditors to cover urgent cash needs moved forward with a 26-pages list of reforms proposed by the Greek government and leaked by the Financial Times in Brussels.
In this list, Alexis Tsipras promised that Greece “would fulfil its debt repayment obligations over the next two weeks.” Tsipras urged EU member states to enforce a relationship based on “solidarity, resolve and mutual respect.”
The new list contains plans to fight against tax evasion and fraud, which would help to raise more new revenues for the Greek state.
However, Tsipras mentioned that it was now up to the EU to move forward and urged them to agree with the new reform proposals.
The Greek economy minister, Giorgos Stathakis, said on Wednesday (April 1) on Skaï TV, member of Euranet Plus, that he is optimistic about reaching a deal with the European Union on the reform package next week. (audio in Greek)
“I am confident that we will end up with an agreement soon, something that will also open up funds,” Stathakis said. “The main goal also of the February 20 agreement was to create the middle stage for the agreement that will be concluded by the end of next week [during the Holy Week].”
With this list, Greece made a step forward, but this is not enough, said the French Finance Minister Michel Sapin to Reuters News Agency.
“Is there a need for more progress? Yes – in the quantification of the measures,” said Sapin on Thursday (April 2).
As this new list came out on Wednesday, the Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis wrote a surprising tweet about April Fool’s Day.
Happy April Fool's Day everyone… http://t.co/HELEDGDpOk
— Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) April 1, 2015
This tweet was linked to an article published by Greek Reporter. The online portal mentioned that Varoufakis, in a “secret meeting,” said that Greece could adopt the online currency Bitcoin if no agreement will be reached soon.
Doubt about the next IMF refund
But in a less optimistic mood than his colleague Stathakis, the Greek Interior minister Nikos Voutsis said that “if no deal is reached by next week, the country could skip its payment to the IMF [International Monetary Fund], expected on April 9, in order to pay domestic salaries and pensions.”
The Greek government must repay 460 million euros to the IMF under the terms of its 2010 bailout agreement.
Voutsis was quoted by the German weekly Der Spiegel, but the Greek government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis denied the statement by telling the news agency Bloomberg that there is “no possibility” that Greece will miss to refund the IMF.
The eurosceptic think-tank Open Europe also tweeted on the comment.
Greek spox tells Gabriel Bloomberg “no possibility” that Greece will miss IMF payment: http://t.co/rgTyX4TGr8
— Open Europe (@OpenEurope) April 2, 2015
Samaras offers political rescue to Tsipras
The Greek main opposition leader Antonis Samaras from New Democracy party announced he would be ready to join a government coalition with Tsipras if it is necessary to keep the country in the Eurozone, reported Bloomberg on Thursday (April 2).
“If the plan is to keep Greece in the euro area, we will provide support,” said Samaras.
The entire interview can be read via the tweet by Bloomberg below.
Greek opposition leader says he’d join alliance with Prime Ministerf to keep country in euro http://t.co/D0b0hyiLpm pic.twitter.com/CQ2XjRPNNR
— Bloomberg Business (@business) April 2, 2015
Meanwhile, in a moment of tense relations between Greece and its Eurozone partners, Tsipras has decided to schedule earlier his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tsipras was supposed to travel to Moscow in May, but the visit will now take place next week, on April 9.
This visit has raised questions of whether it is aimed to ask Russia for financial help. But the European Commission refused to comment on the issue during a press briefing this week.
Quoting EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, a Commission spokesperson reminded that “it is clear that Russia is not an alternative for Greece. Greece place is in the Eurozone and we don’t have to worry.”
- Author: Laeticia Markakis, Euranet Plus News Agency