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Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-06-04
CONTENTS
[01] President's message for World Environment Day
[02] Greek FinMin at Eurogroup conference
[01] President's message for World Environment Day
The time has come to put a stop to the destruction of the natural
environment, President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias said
on Monday in a message to mark World Environment Day. "The margins of
time and endurance of Nature itself have been spent," Papoulias noted,
calling on all sides to coordinate their action and join forces "to put
an end to this course of destruction".
"Even though we are going through an era when our technology gives up
the option of making great strides toward the future, our relationship
with Nature is heading backward, following a course of decline". It is
a course that does not only degrade nature but also man himself.
Climate change, the thinning of the ozone layer, the reduction in
biodiversity, city smog, water shortage, the destruction of forests,
the problem of waste management do not just foreshadow a dire future
but have now become a nightmarish reality."
Caption:ANA-MPA file photo of President of the Hellenic Republic
Karolos Papoulias.
[02] Greek FinMin at Eurogroup conference
Greek Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis referred in
Luxembourg on Monday to the achievements of the Greek economy in past
years. Arriving at the conference of Eurogroup member-states,
Alogoskoufis said that "Greece has made a very important effort in past
years, decreasing its deficits dramatically, resulting in the fiscal
deficit being below 3 percent of the GDP for the second consecutive
year this year."
The minister further said that "due to the mixture of economic policy
that was followed and of reforms that were adopted, we succeeded in
having very high economic development and a decrease in unemployment,"
adding that the fact constitutes "an example of a successful mixture of
economic policy and correct implementation of the Stability and
Development Treaty."
Lastly, Alogoskoufis noted that "without all the problems having been
solved, since fiscal problems also remain, as well as other reforms
that must be promoted, we are quite satisfied at this phase that the
first stage of the implementation of our reformist programme has been
completed with success."
Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Greek Economy and Finance Minister
George Alogoskoufis.
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