Greece Update

Publication Date: June 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Politics

Type:

Abstract:

The conservative New Democracy party took office in March 2004 for the first time in more than 20 years. Its economic policies call for cutting the large public sector, while sustaining strong growth that had been stimulated by investments for the summer 2004 Olympics. Its foreign policy will continue to focus on the European Union, the rapprochement with Turkey, efforts to reunify Cyprus, and good relations with the United States. Greece has assisted with the war on terrorism, but is not a member of the coalition in Iraq, where it supports a strong U.N. role. This report will be updated if developments warrant. See also CRS Issue Brief IB89140, Cyprus: Status of U.N. Negotiations, and CRS Report RS21833, Greece: Threat of Terrorism and Security at the Olympics, both updated regularly.