Amid the ongoing road blockades by Greek farmers across the country, and a heated debate in parliament, Minister for Agricultural Development Kostas Tsiaras responded on Monday in a televised address to the demands put forward by the farmers’ representatives.

Tsiaras called on the farmers’ representatives to immediately engage in a meaningful dialogue, with respect, while remaining mindful of the country’s needs.

The minister stressed that the government has always strived to support the primary sector, adding that it “was approaching the problems it faced with the utmost seriousness.

“Some of the farmers’ demands are just,” he noted, adding that a series of these demands had been addressed and that payments via the Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid (OPEKEPE) had been sorted out.

The OPEKEPE agency has been at the center of a multi-million-euro scandal, with the alleged embroilment of farmers linked to political members of the ruling party, New Democracy

The farmers on Saturday forwarded a document outlining their demands to the prime minister and the relevant ministries, including lower prices for agricultural fuel, reduced energy costs and the restoration of subsidies to levels seen five years ago. Farmers also decided to step up their protests later this week.

Farmers from Evros in northern Greece to Crete in the south remain mobilized, with thousands of tractors positioned on major highways and actions including rallies and blockades of roads, customs checkpoints and ports. They say they are rejecting the dialogue proposed by the government, describing it as merely a formality.

Source: tovima.com

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