Merkel says Greece seems to be making headway with reformsOctober 13, 2012 - 15:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday, Oct 13, that Greece seemed to be making headway with its reforms and should stick to the agreements it had made but added that the crisis-stricken country should continue to be given more chances, Reuters reported. "I have the impression that, step-by-step, we are beginning to see progress there. It's often slower than we had imagined but on this front we should give Greece another chance time and again," she said in a weekly video podcast. "On the one hand we should demand that the agreements on which we decided together are kept. But on the other hand we should, in our role as friends and partners, offer assistance and support." Merkel said the German government was in close contact with Greece. Earlier this week Merkel visited Greece for the first time since the eurozone crisis erupted three years ago and while she reaffirmed Berlin's commitment to keep Greece inside the eurozone, she offered no concrete relief ahead of a new report on Greece's reform progress due by next month. Asked if a European Union in which an increasing number of member states ask for financial aid was sustainable, she said: "No of course not. It would be wrong if things were to stay like this but now the markets are also testing if we will stay together." Merkel said she was against turning the EU into a federal system like the United States: "I don't think we should overstretch ourselves." Merkel said the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the EU on Friday provided motivation to further develop the union. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Armenia-Qatar ties discussed in Doha The Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council met with the Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council of Qatar. ARARAT special evening dedicated to Aznavour's 100th Anniv. On May 20 ARARAT legendary Armenian brandy, celebrated the centennial of Maestro Charles Aznavour with a special event. Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province. Armenia calls for prohibiting threats of attacks on nuclear facilities Armenia has raised the need for a treaty prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes. |