Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-10-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM addresses message of solidarity and collective work to ND Central Committee

[01] PM addresses message of solidarity and collective work to ND Central Committee

"We are working and cooperating with each other to provide solutions. We are working and cooperating with a plan and a vision," Karamanlis said, adding that millions of Greeks were struggling under "the banner of common values and goals, demanding dedication to these goals, demanding that we show solidarity with each other".

He called on the party to put the collective above the personal and urged members of the governing party to pay attention to society.

"We are all judged by these things. We all have responsibilities and obligations. The obligations in this new four-year term are greater," Karamanlis stressed.

He also noted that ND's place was in the modern social centre. "We leave to others the extremes and extreme actions. We address all Greeks, we listen to all citizens no matter what they voted. We do not enter the dead-end roads of populism," he emphasised.

The prime minister was also adamant that the policy of change and reforms will continue, noting that the government's first term had given solutions to accumulated problems and opened a cycle of reforms that had been needed for several years.

"Our commitment is to protect all that we have achieved so far and to secure even more. It is a commitment for all to work to clear time frames and for measurable results," he underlined. At the same time, he noted that Greece was currently going through a difficult time and the road ahead would be an uphill course that would require everyone in the party to join forces, remain united and work together without letting up even one day.

"This is a joint commitment; it is a duty to Greece and to Greeks. It is an irrevocable decision," he stressed.

According to the prime minister, the public sector was the "sick man" and the effort the government had begun in all areas would have to be completed. With respect to the economy, he said the target was to eradicate all the fiscal deficits by the year 2010 in order to create funds for the social state.

The start of the government's new term had brought a new start in this area with major reforms of social policy, Karamanlis added, and he outlined the government's main policy guidelines for a modern, just social state.

He said that these measures will responsibly secure funding for social insurance, which would also be created through the steady growth of the economy, without requiring additional contribution or any increase in the age of retirement, nor a reduction in the size of pensions.

"With these positions we sought and are seeking to move forward with consensual steps, without the postponements and deliberate delays that augment the problem," Karamanlis stressed, saying that this was a strategy giving firm solutions to major social issues.

Regarding the participation of the parties and social partners in dialogue on reforming the pension system, he said that pretexts benefited no one and that they indicated either a lack of proposals or a conscious refusal to contribution to solving the problems.

"Flight serves no one apart from the privileged and comfortable. Denial is the choice of conservatism, immobility and impasse. It is the most anti-working class choice," he underlined.

Referring to the ruling party's recent re-election, the prime minister said this was a victory for the past and future of the country and underlined that the government now had only one choice and only one right - to succeed.

"And I want you to be absolutely certain. We will not settle for anything less than what we undertook to do. This is demanded by millions of Greek men and women that entrusted us with their vote," he concluded.

Message to FYROM

The prime minister also used the podium of the ND Central Committee to send a clear message to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), regarding Greece's policy on the name issue.

"We say this to neighbouring FYROM clearly. We have invited them, as foreseen in the relevant decision of the UN Security Council, to engage in substantive, constructive participation in the UN process for finding a mutually acceptable solution to the outstanding issue of their name. Obstinacy, intransigency, historically unfounded actions and insistence on a propaganda along irredentist lines does not build relations of alliance. It does not build relations of solidarity, such as are required for their participation in NATO and the EU," Karamanlis stressed.

Caption: Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis addresses a meeting of ruling New Democracy's Central Committee on Saturday, 20 October 2007. ANA-MPA/Gouilielmos Antoniou

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