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Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-06-18Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM Karamanlis says high time to go ahead with European integrationPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis said on Monday that the path to the future of Europe is long and difficult, stressing that the government desires European integration and European deepening and that the European Union must forge ahead with all its member-states along this course.Karamanlis, who was addressing a ruling New Democracy party pre-conference focusing on Europe in the city of Nafplio in the Peloponnese, further said that "there is also the path of strengthened cooperation when and where necessary. The example of the EMU is already a strong model." The prime minister pointed to the need for a solution to be provided for the pending issue of the Constitutional Treaty as soon as possible and clarified that his adherrence to the base, essence and balance of the text already shaped is a foregone conclusion and that he supports efforts developing for a solution to be found and implemented before the next Euroelections. "It is high time for all of us to rise to the challenges, to schedule a solution to the pending issue that arose, for all sides to move with a European conception, with magnanimity, a strong will and with faith in the European vision," he said. The prime minister then expressed support for political unification and the shaping of a joint foreign affairs and security policy. Since this year is the 50th anniversary of the signing of the treaty that paved the way to the European course, Karamanlis said "we pay homage to Constantine Karamanlis and his associates, political and diplomatic, the historic cadres of New Democracy who worked and achieved in difficult times the feat of our country's incorporation in the European family. We are proud because our party shaped and put into practice the European course of our country and succeeded, despite barren internal reactions, in leading Greece ahead, we are the party of great and absolutely vindicated national options." Referring in turn to government policy, Karamanlis said "we are continuing the changes and the reforms that we have scheduled with consistency and intensifying rates." He said that "our strategy is a foregone conclusion and our decision is irrevocable. We are continuing, far from doctrines and mistaken ideas with the support of the wide social alliance of changes and reforms." "We have promoted considerable reforms, we have enacted new development incentives, speeded up the absorption of European Union funds and we have already achieved considerable results and we are continuing with intensifying rates. The successes that we have had recently confirm the correctness of our options and highlight the effectiveness of our policy, while indicating its continuation as well," the prime minister concluded. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |