(16 Feb 2010)
1. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou shaking hands
2. Cutaway members of Greek delegation
3. Mid of Putin speaking
4. Mid of Papandreou speaking
5. Wide pan of talks
6. Putin and Papandreou entering news conference
7. Cutaway of media
8. SOUNDBITE (Greek) George Papandreou, Greek Prime Minister:
"First of all I need to say that Greece is having a difficult time at the moment, that''s true, economy wise. I believe that Greece will come out of the crisis a lot stronger, because even though there are difficulties, it will give us the chance to change a lot of things that we think that need to be changed. Getting out of this crisis, we will be then a much stronger country both, economically and politically."
9. Cutaway of media
10. SOUNDBITE (Greek) George Papandreou, Greek Prime Minister:
"As for our bilateral relations and the South Stream project in particular, not only will it not be postponed, but it will contribute the development and the rise of the Greek economy. That''s why I think that the decisions that we took in Moscow today are very useful."
11. Cutaway of media
12. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister:
"As for the current economic difficulties Greece is going through - we know about them. There is nothing good about it, of course, but we think they can be dealt with. And today, for example, we got another positive signal after the meeting of the EU Finance Ministers."
13. Cutaway of media
14. Wide of Putin and Papandreou leaving news conference
STORYLINE:
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou ended a two-day trip to Moscow Tuesday by promising the Kremlin that Greece''s economic mess won''t sink a major gas pipeline project.
South Stream pipeline project set for 2015, would carry Russian gas to Europe under the Black Sea.
The plans call for Greece to be both a customer for South Stream gas and a transit nation.
"Not only will it not be postponed, but it will contribute the development and the rise of the Greek economy" Papandreou said at a news conference with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
European finance ministers have given the Greek government just a month to show it is making drastic budget cuts in a bid to calm markets and stop Athen''s debt crisis from spreading to other countries.
Ministers from the 27-nation block said in a statement that Greece must show by March 16 that it is on track to cut its deficit by a hefty 4 percent of gross domestic product, from a staggering 12.7 percent of gross domestic product to 8.7 percent this year, and that it will bring it under a 3 percent limit by 2012.
While accepting that Greece was facing "a difficult time at the moment" Papandreou said he believed the response to the crisis would forge "a much stronger country both, economically and politically."
For his part Putin tried to assure Greece that the pipeline project will help it recover from its debt crisis by boosting state revenues.
"As for the current economic difficulties Greece is going through - we know about them. There is nothing good about it, of course, but we think they can be dealt with" he said at the news conference on Tuesday.
Papandreou''s visit raised speculation that Greece, facing the biggest budget deficit in the euro-zone, may be seeking a bailout loan from Moscow.
However, officials declined to take questions on the subject Tuesday.
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