Via a nine-point “non-paper”, the government on Sunday outlined its main positions, in view of the critical Eurogroup meeting to be held on Monday. “Non paper, as per the meaning, means unofficial and thereby non-binding.

Inter alia, the informal document says it is not certain that tomorrow’s meeting will produce a decision, as the discussions between technical teams of the government and the country’s creditors, revealed a divergence of views, i.e. they disagree.

The non-paper also makes specific reference to fighting a decades-old scourge in Greece, tax evasion and its derivatives: fraud and corruption.

The relevant excerpt reads: “As a Greek official in Brussels noted, fighting tax evasion is an essential element of government policy, and the failure of some people to understand this fact is like not being able to understand that Barcelona FC needs Messi and Neymar in its starting line-up for the final of Champions League.

Another point that the Greek government is trying to desperately get across is that its “bridge-deal” is not the same thing with a four-year plan of the new government.

Here are the 9 main points of the widely disseminated unofficial document:

1. The works of the technical teams concluded late on Saturday.

2. The role of the teams was to seek points of convergence/divergence and not to negotiate. Each side now is aware of the areas of agreement and disagreement.

3. The purpose of the “bridge-deal” is to give time to Greek society and allow it to breathe until the final agreement. Therefore, it is not identified with the government’s four-year plan.

4. The fight against tax evasion is one that the new Greek government has the will to undertake. Compared to the previous governments, it has an advantages in this area. As a Greek official in Brussels noted, fighting tax evasion is an essential element of the government policy, and the failure of some people to understand this fact  is like “not being able to understand that Barcelona FC needs Messi and Neymar in its basic line-up for the final of Champions League.”

5. The negotiation in the Eurogroup meeting on Monday will be difficult.

6. It is not certain that there will definitely be a decision.

7. The Greek side from the very beginning has been firmly demonstrating its willingness to find a mutually beneficial solution.

8. Finally, people are not numbers. Therefore, any leaks as to whether “numbers” add up or not, are just rhetoric used to justify hard austerity.

9. The technical team of the Greek side presented the government’s positions with figures, arguments and absolute competence.