Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-06-28

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Changes and reforms in education continuing, PM tells Economist conference

[01] Changes and reforms in education continuing, PM tells Economist conference

"We are planning reforms that pave the way for a continuous improvement of the level of studies in all the public higher educational establishments," he said, adding that they are reforms that secure degrees for work, that equip the youth of our country with more possibilities for success and progress in the new competitive environment.

Karamanlis said that the target is to strengthen education as a lever for viable development, fairer distribution of income, social cohesion and justice, individual prosperity and collective progress.

The prime minister referred to his government's policy and noted that it has already achieved, in a mild manner, a considerable decrease in the fiscal deficit and has secured its dropping below 3 percent of GDP in 2006.

"It has also achieved growth rates that are more than double the average of eurozone countries, while it has succeeded in reversing downward trends in the economy's competitiveness," Karamanlis noted.

The prime minister stressed that inflation has been restrained at 3.5 percent, investments increased by about 7 percent during the first quarter of the year, exports are showing a continuous upward trend approaching 23 percent in the first quarter of the year, tourism is following an upward course and last year it produced revenues that increased by 7 percent, unemployment has begun to decrease gradually and the available income of households increased over the past two years with an annual rate of 4.3 percent.

Referring to cooperation with Bulgaria and Romania, the prime minister stressed that Greece has actively supported and is supporting the accession of the two Balkan countries to the big European family, adding that it was encouraging the European prospects of all neighbouring countries. He added that Greece was looking forward to closer and more productive cooperation with all its neighbours.

Lastly, Karamanlis mentioned that the European Union is the base on which the common future of the countries and peoples of Europe is being built, while the accession course of Balkan countries "proved to be a lever for reforms and structural changes, a lever for strengthening democracy and stability."

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article