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Austrian finance minister hopes Greeks will vote for creditor’s proposals

On June 25, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund presented a draft agreement on settling the Greek debt problem

BERLIN, July 5 /TASS/. Austrian Finance Minister Hans Jorg Shelling has said he hopes that the Greeks will vote for the draft agreement of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund for settling the debt problem and its adoption by the Greek government.

"I hope that common sense will prevail because the Greek people know that it’s not just the future of the euro which is in question. It concerns the future of Greece and their own future," Shelling said in an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

According to him, the creditors are ready to continue talks with Athens. "We have been making concessions to the Greeks for a long time and we are still extending our hand to them," Shelling said adding the EU would resume talks immediately as soon as the Greek government stated clearly what it really wanted.

On June 25, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund presented a draft agreement on settling the Greek debt problem.

A referendum on the creditors’ proposals will be held in Greece on Sunday. The voters will have to decide whether the Greek government should adopt or reject the international creditors’ proposal. According to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the creditors’ proposals are clearly violating the pan-European rules and the right to employment, equality and dignity. He said that many partners had not wanted to reach an agreement with all the parties. Their aim was to humiliate an entire nation, Tsipras said. He urged the Greek people to say "no" to the proposals. That "no’’ vote, according to Tsipras, will be the chief argument, which the government will use as the basis for improving the parameters of the agreement during further consultations with the creditors.

"The referendum is the most effective weapon of talks for us," Tsipras stressed.

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