Samaras stir the flames over Macedonia
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras lob the blame for the name dispute over to Macedonia and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and try to rank the other Balkan states, Albania and Bulgaria on the Greek side in the name dispute.
Samaras answer the MIA question at the cocktail party organized by the Economic Peterson Institute in Washington where he talked about economic plans for Greece and the difficult regional situation.
- We had a long discussion with Mr. Nimetz for the name dispute. Last time I met him was here at the United Nations. There is some extreme intransigence by my colleague from Skopje. I believe that Greece is the only country that has done some steps towards a solution. However, that is not the case with Skopje. We are looking for a solution that would be a name erga omnes, as it is Latin, 1 solution, 1 name for every kind of use. I do not see that Mr. Gruevski is open for this solution. I believe that if you ask my colleagues from Albania and Bulgaria, and they will probably give the same answer, that unyielding lies at Skopje, not at Greece, said Samaras at a dinner organized by the Foundation of the late Greek shipping tycoon, Stavros Niarchos.
Greece Prime Minsiter, Samaras, who visited New York and is now visiting Washington during his second visit to the U.S. within a month and a half, avoided talking about the name issue. Earlier yesterday he tried to avoid Macedonian news crews and during the media briefings he did not address the name dispute. In his public appearances, the Greek Prime Minister talks about, as he said, the destruction of the neo – Nazi party Golden Dawn and presents new economic data for Greece, for which he says that his party has managed to get the country out of crisis.
Samaras yesterday in Washington met with Christine Lagarde, who asked him to bring a strong budget for 2014, which will continue the painful budget cuts and structural reforms that Greece implements since the bankruptcy in 2010. IMF supports the EU institutions in the financing Greece, which in 2010 said it was no longer able to pay its debts.
In front of the Peterson Institute Samaras himself acknowledged the economic decline of over 25 percents and climbing unemployment of over 28 percents, but also boasts with the reduction in unemployment in the second quarter of the year and achieved a surplus in the budget, if you do not consider repayment installments debt. Samaras pledged that the country will cut bureaucracy or the red tape for companies willing to invest, and place a red carpet for them and expressed hope that Parliament will vote on adopting a flat tax of 15 percents instead of the current progressive tax.
On the geopolitical front, Greek Prime Minister said that, although it is a bit strange, called Greece pillar of stability in the region, saying that it is stable compared with the region of North Africa and the Middle East who are affected by war and the Arab Spring. Samaras has promoted the Alliance with Cyprus and Israel for exploiting newly discovered deposits of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea.
During the visit to Washington it is planned Samaras to meet with Vice President Joe Biden, with several Congressmen and opening of exhibition of Byzantine art was planned at the National Gallery in Washington, but due to the U.S. budget blockage this event is not certain. In New York Samaras met the American businessmen of Greek origin, and seek a help from them, to help the country during the economic crisis. Samaras met representatives of Jewish organizations in the U.S. and inform them for the arrest of the leadership of the neo – Nazi party Golden Dawn that until the police raid on Saturday, it was the third most popular party in Greece.
Samaras answer the MIA question at the cocktail party organized by the Economic Peterson Institute in Washington where he talked about economic plans for Greece and the difficult regional situation.
- We had a long discussion with Mr. Nimetz for the name dispute. Last time I met him was here at the United Nations. There is some extreme intransigence by my colleague from Skopje. I believe that Greece is the only country that has done some steps towards a solution. However, that is not the case with Skopje. We are looking for a solution that would be a name erga omnes, as it is Latin, 1 solution, 1 name for every kind of use. I do not see that Mr. Gruevski is open for this solution. I believe that if you ask my colleagues from Albania and Bulgaria, and they will probably give the same answer, that unyielding lies at Skopje, not at Greece, said Samaras at a dinner organized by the Foundation of the late Greek shipping tycoon, Stavros Niarchos.
Greece Prime Minsiter, Samaras, who visited New York and is now visiting Washington during his second visit to the U.S. within a month and a half, avoided talking about the name issue. Earlier yesterday he tried to avoid Macedonian news crews and during the media briefings he did not address the name dispute. In his public appearances, the Greek Prime Minister talks about, as he said, the destruction of the neo – Nazi party Golden Dawn and presents new economic data for Greece, for which he says that his party has managed to get the country out of crisis.
Samaras yesterday in Washington met with Christine Lagarde, who asked him to bring a strong budget for 2014, which will continue the painful budget cuts and structural reforms that Greece implements since the bankruptcy in 2010. IMF supports the EU institutions in the financing Greece, which in 2010 said it was no longer able to pay its debts.
In front of the Peterson Institute Samaras himself acknowledged the economic decline of over 25 percents and climbing unemployment of over 28 percents, but also boasts with the reduction in unemployment in the second quarter of the year and achieved a surplus in the budget, if you do not consider repayment installments debt. Samaras pledged that the country will cut bureaucracy or the red tape for companies willing to invest, and place a red carpet for them and expressed hope that Parliament will vote on adopting a flat tax of 15 percents instead of the current progressive tax.
On the geopolitical front, Greek Prime Minister said that, although it is a bit strange, called Greece pillar of stability in the region, saying that it is stable compared with the region of North Africa and the Middle East who are affected by war and the Arab Spring. Samaras has promoted the Alliance with Cyprus and Israel for exploiting newly discovered deposits of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea.
During the visit to Washington it is planned Samaras to meet with Vice President Joe Biden, with several Congressmen and opening of exhibition of Byzantine art was planned at the National Gallery in Washington, but due to the U.S. budget blockage this event is not certain. In New York Samaras met the American businessmen of Greek origin, and seek a help from them, to help the country during the economic crisis. Samaras met representatives of Jewish organizations in the U.S. and inform them for the arrest of the leadership of the neo – Nazi party Golden Dawn that until the police raid on Saturday, it was the third most popular party in Greece.
