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12.4.11

* Herman VAN ROMPUY President of the European Council following his meeting with Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou*Το μεγαλύτερο πολιτικό δίκτυο ενημέρωσης στην Ελλάδα και στην Κύπρο * NEWS AGENCY-VOULI.NET-HELLAS AND CYPRUS NEWS

Athens, 12 April 2011
Remarks by
Herman VAN ROMPUY
President of the European Council
following his meeting with Prime Minister of Greece
George Papandreou
 
Prime Minister George Papandreou and I had a fruitful meeting this morning. Earlier in the day I
also met President Carolos Papoulias.
In a spirit of cooperation and confidence, we discussed the current economic and financial situation
and issues relating to migration, asylum and border management.
Regarding the economic situation, my message today is one of support for the work done and the
work to be done. The reforms being implemented by this Government are necessary to make Greece
more competitive, more modern and better able to grow faster and create more jobs in the future.
I know they require an effort from everyone. The adjustment programme is requiring the Greek
public to make heavy sacrifices. That is why fairness in the distribution of the burden is of the
utmost importance. That is why combating fraud, tax evasion and corruption in the bureaucracy is a
key issue. I am fully convinced of the Government's commitment.
The EU has stood side by side with Greece and its government in these difficult circumstances.
Once your country asked for help, in a matter of days we devised an effective programme for
providing financial support, together with the IMF.
This is the first time in history that such a large amount of money has been made available to assist
a country: EUR 110 billion, which is almost half of Greece's GDP.
The Member States participating in the bilateral loan have recently agreed to reduce the interest rate
by 1 % and to extend the duration of the loan. This is a very positive development for the country.
And it is an acknowledgement of the major efforts undertaken by the Greek government.
The key is to continue implementing the courageous reforms and privatisations that have been
agreed in a timely and effective manner. On fiscal consolidation it is important to stick to the
programme objectives. Structural reforms are key to addressing the problem of competitiveness and
laying the foundations for growth and jobs.

2
All these efforts are in Greece's long-term interest. They are unavoidable and should have been
implemented long ago. Europe is not to be blamed. On the contrary, the Union is helping to
preserve Greece's future. I know that this message is not always well understood but it is the simple
truth.
In preparation for the next European Council on 24 June, we also spoke about the European Union's
policy in the area of migration, asylum and border management. These policy areas are high on our
political agenda - because of ongoing developments in our Southern Neighbourhood and in the
Middle East, but also for internal reasons.
We will discuss these issues at our next European Council in June in order to put them in the wider
context. The EU is fully aware that Greece has been, and still is, confronted with a large number of
irregular migrants on account of its geographical location and its responsibility to protect the EU's
external land and sea borders.
Greece is making major efforts to fulfil its responsibility in this field. At the same time, the EU is
showing its solidarity.
Via its border agency FRONTEX and the new European Asylum Support Office, the EU is
significantly supporting Greece. The operation by FRONTEX at the Greek-Turkish land border has
achieved good results in cooperation with Greek authorities. The Joint Operation Poseidon Land
which has replaced it is also having a positive impact on the situation on the ground.
Furthermore, the EU is pushing for the swift conclusion and entry into force of the readmission
agreement with Turkey, given its potential impact on managing migration flows and fighting
irregular immigration.
The Schengen area and the Dublin system in the field of asylum can only function if participating
Member States can trust each other to implement the agreed rules correctly. I therefore greatly
appreciate the significant efforts that Greece is making to strengthen the management of its external
borders. With the National Action Plan on Asylum Reform and Migration Management, the Greek
government has set the necessary course for the reform of its migration and asylum systems.
Prime Minister Papandreou and I also agree that measures within the EU are not sufficient. We will
need to develop new or improved partnerships with the countries in our Southern Neighbourhood.
They will have to cooperate further on fighting irregular migration and trafficking in human beings
and on return and readmission.
I will closely cooperate with the Prime Minister on the preparation of our discussions at the next
European Council in June. Let me finish by saying that in all the areas discussed with PM
Papandreou today there is a need to ensure the proper balance between European solidarity and
national responsibility

Κυρ. Μητσοτάκης: Χρειαζόμαστε πρόσθετους πόρους για το μεταναστευτικό και το Ταμείο Αλληλεγγύης

  Κυρ. Μητσοτάκης: Χρειαζόμαστε πρόσθετους πόρους για το μεταναστευτικό και το Ταμείο Αλληλεγγύης