Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said on Monday that the agreement reached early Saturday morning by the European Union leaders during the Brussels summit has sent "a sounding message that it (the Union) can overcome disagreements and differences and forge ahead".

Karamanlis made the statement after briefing President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias on the outcome of last week's EU summit.
The premier added that the final result "after concertations that lasted many months and alliances, satisfies us all".

"We have succeeded in the objectives we had set and we did not lose even one euro, despite the fact that the budget agreed upon is smaller than the one the Luxembourg presidency had proposed (last June)", Karamanlis said.

President Papoulias, on his part, said "it is very good for Greece", adding "we have avoided what we had been afraid of". He also praised the role played by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Germany helped a lot, while the British Presidency showed a good disposition in relation to its past proposals," Karamanlis said.

Source: Athens News Agency

^
top

print this page   send this page