Greece, EU see need for 'national reform plan' to fix economy

BY KAROLINA TAGARIS

ATHENS Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:46am GMT

(Reuters) - Greece has agreed with its European partners that there needs to be a "national reform plan" to deal with decades-long issues of the economy, its government spokesman said on Sunday.

But he added in a wide-ranging interview on Greece's Skai TV that the new government will not clash with the public based on orders from outside.

Greece and its euro zone partners are in difficult negotiations over demands by the new government of leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for an end to austerity and a renegotiation of Greece's debt.

 

Spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis reiterated that the government was not willing to accept a euro zone bailout if it came with the same kind of strings as in past.

"A lot has happened since last Wednesday's Eurogroup (meeting). It was a period of continuous negotiations," he said.

"(But) the Greek government is determined to stick to its commitment towards the public ... and not continue a programme that has the characteristics of the previous bailout agreements."

Sakellaridis also said the government would find a way for the country's battered banking system to work in the interests of economic growth.

"We are making contact with the banking sector," he said. "The Greek government's (moves) will have as their goal the stability of the financial system and there are no circumstances that will have the share value of the banks as the goal."

(Additional reporting Costas Pitas Writing by Jeremy Gaunt; Editing by Mark Heinrich)