GREEK NEWS AGENDA: Autumn in NY

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Autumn in NY

Papandreou Meets US Vice President

Prime Minister George Papandreou held talks with US Vice President Joe Biden yesterday at the White House.

The Vice President expressed strong support for Greece’s economic and political reforms and praised the Prime Minister’s bold leadership.

Their talks focused on the world economic crisis, the Middle East, the Cyprus problem as well as the FYROM name issue.

Youtube: PM's Statement after the meeting with Joe Biden

PM: Greece Emerging Stronger from Crisis

Greece is on the right track, Prime Minister George Papandreou said during a visit to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), on September 20.

"Here, at the NYSE, we had the opportunity to present the great changes we have made in recent months in Greece. We presented our tough but successful course in reducing the deficit, on the one hand, but also, on the other hand, all the new opportunities arising for investments in our country, for investments in transports, tourism, green development and elsewhere," the premier added.

At an interview with Betty Liu (Bloomberg) during his visit to the NYSE, Papandreou stressed that "if we were going to default, we would have decided that many months ago," adding that this "would be wrong for the Greek economy, it would be wrong for the European economy, it would make things worse in the end. That’s why we’re taking the pain and making these structural reforms, and we’re on target."

See also Primeminister.gr: New York Stock Exchange / Press Conference

FM Meeting on FYROM Name Issue

Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas reiterated Greece’s position on resolving the FYROM name issue during a meeting in New York on September 20 with the UN Secretary General’s special envoy on the issue, Matthew Nimetz.

"It is a well known position; a clear, consistent, credible and honest position. First of all, the Greek government has the political will for a solution. And second, the framework for this solution – the solution that Greece can accept – is the well known red line: a geographical qualifier for every use, erga omnes," Droutsas said following the meeting.