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Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-02-25Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou interview on Australian TVMelbourne (ANA-MPA/S. Hatzimanolis) -- The majority, some 60-70 percent, of the Greek people back the government's measures on the Greek economy, prime minister George Papandreou stressed on the Australian TV station ABC, in an interview ABC Europe correspondent in London Philip Williams that was broadcast Wednesday night on Tony Jones' "Lateline" information program. In the interview, Papandreou discusses his plans to deal with Greece's debt despite anti-reform protests."We have come to a reckoning...a moment of reckoning, if you like, for Greece to make these changes, and it will be painful," the premier said, adding that the "people know that, but I think people are saying: Let's do it, let's get over with it". To a question on the protests to the austerity package and whether, in his "quiet moments" he has wished he'd lost the election, that this wasn't his problem, Papandreou replied: "Well, I have taken on problems...Whenever I have taken on, it so happens, in my political career, when I've taken on posts, they are usually during crises". "I am used to trouble," he added. Asked what the fundamental problem with the Greek economy is, Papandreou explained: "Yes, we do have first of all a home-grown problem, which was the mismanagement of our economy, particularly by the previous government - corruption, cronyism, clientele politics. A lot of money was wasted, basically, through these types of practices. So we need to make some real, deep structural changes, as, of course, dealing with the immediate problem of the deficit. [02] UN mediator on FYROM name issue due in Athens FridayANA-MPA/The UN Secretary General's special mediator on the FYROM name issue, Ambassador Matthew Nimetz, is due in Athens on Friday for talks with the Greek government, following a similar visit to FYROM, which he wound up on Thursday in talks with FYROM prime minister Nikola Gruevski.In statements to the press after his meeting with Gruevski, Nimetz stressed that the main item of the negotiation process is the name issue. "From my viewpoint, the main issue of the talks is the country's name, as stipulated in the UN Resolutions and the Interim Agreement. All other matters that have arisen during the negotiations all these years should, I believe, be considered secondary," Nimetz said. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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