/ world today news/ Greece continues with negotiations, wants to stay in Europe. This was stated by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in an address to the nation, made at 16:30 local time on national television.
Tsipras began his speech with the words: “The referendum remains, I call for a ‘no’ vote”, thereby confirming that there will be a referendum on Sunday. He explicitly stressed that the July 5 vote was not a referendum on remaining in the eurozone, saying that a “no” vote would mean “a return to European values.”
“We will make a choice in favor or not of the specific agreement with the creditors’ measures,” he specified. Tsipras assured the Greek people that the government intends to reach an agreement with the partners on vital terms and prospects. Holding a referendum in Greece to accept the creditor’s conditions pursues the goal of avoiding risks for the country, he added.
“We want to avoid the risk for Greece in order to achieve a better future for our country”, the Prime Minister added, announcing that Greece remains open to negotiations.
“We remain at the negotiating table. If the Eurogroup gives us a positive answer today, we will immediately move forward,” Tsipras also said. According to him, the results of the referendum will allow him to continue his mandate, and there is a possibility that Greece will receive better proposals after it. “After the referendum was scheduled, we received better proposals. I never expected a democratic Europe to declare against organizing a referendum. It is a real shame that our banks were closed, just because we allowed the people to say what they think,” he said more Tsipras and recalled that he was a candidate for the President of the EC. “Europe must stop being undemocratic,” he said.
The Prime Minister tried to calm his fellow citizens, who are in a panic because of the closed banks for the third day. “People will not lose their salaries, pensions or savings in the banks,” Tsipras also pointed out.
BGNES recalls that yesterday the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made a complete reversal in his position towards international creditors. Late last night he personally sent a letter to the creditors informing them that he was ready to accept their terms for financial assistance, but insisted on some additional conditions.
Tonight, the International Monetary Fund announced that Athens did not make the payment on its debt by the deadline – 01.00 hours Bulgarian time.
Greece has become the first developed country to accrue arrears to the IMF and no longer have access to the institution’s financial resources, which would in turn face the biggest bankruptcy in its history.
Greece must pay a total of 5.4 billion euros to the IMF this year, out of a total debt of 21 billion euros. The next installment of 284 million euros must be made on August 1.
Hours before the expiration at 1:00 this night of the second aid package supported by the IMF, the EU and the ECB, and the planned extension of nearly 16 billion euros, the government of Alexis Tsipras sent a new proposal.
In his proposal to discuss a third aid package for Greece, Tsipras wants more than 29 billion euros, with which the country can pay its debts until 2017, inclusive. /AFP, TASS
Athens / Greece
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