Greek PM expresses steadfast will to handle international economic crisis

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

ATHENS, Feb. 5 (Chinese media) -- Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said in a

statement on Thursday that the government has a clear plan and a steadfast will

to handle the international economic crisis.

Karamanlis, who was speaking at the Prime Minister Office Thursday night,

stressed that the government's responsible and stable policy guarantees a better

future for all citizens. He said that government policy is based on three axes,

in maintaining growth, even with lower rates this year, but with higher rates in

the years to come.

Karamanlis referred to the economy's fluidity program, to supporting

businesses, to boosting public investments and to promoting necessary reforms.

The second target is monetary restructuring by curbing expenditures,

limiting extravagance and restricting tax evasion. The third target is

supporting the financially weaker to the economy's endurance limits with

targeted interventions in socially vulnerable groups, while shielding employment

at the same time, according to the statement.

The prime minister said that social cohesion is the base of government

policy and that nothing is easy and nor can it be done from one day to the next

and added that everyone must help to overcome this crisis.

Karamanlis underlined that with the new stability and growth program,

following the revision of evaluations of all the international organizations as

well, "the government is taking all factors into consideration with a new

mixture of policy. No country and no society can handle the international crisis

by itself. However, we can, with a specific program, prevent the grave

repercussions with realism and with a stable policy."