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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Tsipras Briefs Opposition Leaders on Debt Talks, They Claim to Support Deal

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras briefed opposition lawmakers on debt negotiations and the prospect of a deal with creditors on Tuesday morning. The three MPs said that they are in favor of a deal on principle. Specifically, Tsipras met individually with new PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata, The River leader Stavros Thoedorakis and New Democracy MP Dora Bakogiannis. It was a surprise to reporters and analysts that ND leader Antonis Samaras was not the one to represent the conservative party. All three opposition lawmakers expressed their support of an agreement between Greece and creditors, stressing that the country should remain in the Eurozone. Analysts also say that Tsipras asked the opposition MPs to vote in favor of the proposed agreement when tabled in the Greek parliament. Following the meeting, Gennimata spoke to reporters saying that if the country fails to make a deal with creditors it would be a “disaster.” She also reiterated a proposal previously submitted by PASOK, namely for establishing a national negotiation team and stressed that an agreement should be reached as soon as possible. Stavros Theodorakis has also urged the Greek prime minister to come to an agreement with lenders: “I called on the prime minister to consider that the Greek economy is desperately close to its limits…. Greek society is suffering from the constant delay of a deal.” Allegedly, Tsipras told Theodorakis and Gennimata that Greece will not make the repayment to the International Monetary Fund due on June 30 if there is no viable agreement and the creditors’ promise of debt restructuring by then. “It is a critical time, a time that we should struggle to reach national unity” said New Democracy MP Dora Bakogiannis after her meeting with the prime minister, adding that “we all have an obligation to try to keep Greece in the Eurozone.” Tsipras is also meeting with the SYRIZA parliamentary group on Tuesday afternoon to brief them on the current state of negotiations.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com