Greek PM hails EU,US support against speculators

(ATHENS) - Greek Prime Minister Georges Papandrou hailed the support Greece has received from its European and US partners to fend off international speculation over its debt crisis in remarks published Saturday.

"Our partners recognise our wish to put our house in order, but they also recognise Greece can't be left alone to deal with international speculation," Papandreou is quoted as saying in the Ta Nea pro-government newspaper.

On the strength of the support he received in a week of diplomatic meetings in Europe and Washington, Papandreou promised that the sacrifices Greeks were being asked to make would "not be in vain."

"We have been forced to take painful decisions, unfair on many of our fellow citizens, but it would have been even more unfair to have left our country defenceless," let it go bankrupt, he said, defending the austerity measures adopted by his government in January and early March.

Papandreou's meetings with the French and German leaders of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers resulted in a call to the European Commission to investigate speculation in high-risk derivatives targeting Greece, which Papandreou blames for his country's crisis.

Eurozone finance ministers are to examine detailed options for concrete European-level financial support for Greece early next week.