Lucas Papademos named as new Greek prime minister

ATHENS. November 10. KAZINFORM Former European Central Bank vice-president Lucas Papademos has been named as Greece's new prime minister, following days of negotiations; Kazinform refers to BBC.

Confirmation of Mr Papademos's role came from the Greek president's office.

Leaders of the three main parties making up a new government of national unity had been meeting the Greek president to try to reach a deal.

Greeks will hope the news will provide the stability to get them through their debt crisis, correspondents say.

Mr Papademos will head an interim government being formed to make sure debt-strapped Greece gets its latest bailout payment, and to approve a new 130bn euro international rescue package from eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund.

"The president, after recommendations by political leaders who attended the meeting, has instructed Lucas Papademos to form a new government," the president's office said in a statement after talks between political leaders and Mr Papademos.

The new government will be sworn in at 12:00 GMT on Friday, a presidency official said.

Mr Papademos will replace Greece's outgoing prime minister George Papandreou who announced he was resigning after a disastrous call for a referendum on the eurozone rescue package.

The new PM will face a confidence vote before parliament, which is expected to happen on Monday, Greek state TV reported.

The Greek stock market jumped sharply when Mr Papademos arrived at the presidential palace to join the negotiations on Thursday morning.