Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-06-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM addresses EPP's European Ideas Network

[01] PM addresses EPP's European Ideas Network

Addressing a meeting of the European People's Party's European Ideas Network on Friday, jointly organised by the "Constantine Karamanlis Institute of Democracy", the prime minister stressed that while economic unification has proceeded considerably this is not the case with the political unification of Europe.

He added that while the common currency is a tangible reality, steps of a corresponding significance have not been taken in the direction of a real common foreign policy and defence and security policy.

Karamanlis said that Europe needs to set ambitious and realistic targets for the future. He pointed out that the Lisbon strategy is the road map for what must be done, it is the path leading to a Europe that will be more competitive, more cohesive and more social, a Europe that will reveal its social image.

The prime minister further said that the key for Europe to achieve its targets lies in one and only concept, reform, stressing that "we must go ahead with the greatest possible consent, with effectiveness and social sensitivity in reforms and changes required in institutions, the economy and society."

Karamanlis used Greece as an example for reforms. He said that over the past two and a half years the "government has turned into practice, as it had promised citizens, the changes and reforms needed by the country." He underlined that it was proceeding with steps that should have been taken years ago, it was correcting mistakes, covering gaps and omissions and building the conditions for a better tomorrow for all Greeks.

Today, he added, Greece "is very close to its fiscal targets. It is maintaining steadfastly one of the highest growth rates in Europe and, in parallel, unemloyment is being decreased considerably."

Concluding, Karamanlis reiterated his adherence to the policy of the modern-day social centre, meaning the "point where policies and people meet in a broad social alliance, apart and above the dividing lines of the past."

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