Lucas Papademos named asnew Greek prime minister

ATHENS, Nov 10(BBC): Former European Central Bank vice-president Lucas Papademos has been named as Greece's new prime minister, following days of negotiations. Mr Papademos, 64, said he was taking over at a "critical point" for Greece. 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 provides the stability to get them through their debt crisis, correspondents say. Mr Papademos, who is not a member of parliament, will head an interim government until elections can take place in February Mr Papademos, who is not a member of parliament, will head an interim government until elections can take place in February. The govermment's main task will to ensure debt-laden Greece gets its latest bailout payment, by approving a new 130bn euro ($177bn; £111bn) 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. The new government will be sworn in at 12:00 GMT on Friday, a presidency official said. Speaking after the announcement, Mr Papademos said his job "will not be easy but I am convinced the problems will be solved... in a quicker and more efficient way if there is unity and consensus". He said the first priorities of the transitional government were to ratify the bailout agreed at an EU summit last month, and to implement the policies linked to it.