Greek PM says economy recovering

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Saturday night urged investors to invest in his country which was recovering and moving to the period of growth.

He made the remarks while presenting his government's roadmap to the post-crisis future during a keynote speech at the opening of the 81st Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), the country's largest annual trade fair held in northern Greece, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We are exactly at the point where our economy is changing from a negative trend of a seven-year recession to positive growth rates at last," the Greek leader said in his live televised speech, before outlining the "only realistic plan in recent years" to exit the debt crisis and reconstruct the country.

He defended his government's policies almost a year after the last general elections on September 25, 2015.

He noted that following the agreement on the third bailout last summer, all signs and indexes in recent months showed that a vicious cycle of dramatic economic and social decline was closing and the Greek economy is changing direction.

"I call domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of business opportunities and the favourable framework we are offering to healthy business activity. Invest without any hesitation in Greek economy. The risks are over. From now on there will be only benefits for you and the Greek economy," he said.

He called for a radical change in the country's production model to create new wealth which will be fairly distributed, and called for focus on Greece's comparative advantages which can make the country a hub for trade and energy routes.

He pledged that his government would continue the battle against corruption and accelerate much needed reforms to support healthy business activity and employment.

Tsipras expressed confidence that Greece will exit the bailout programme at the end of the next two years, pledging that until then his government will support the most vulnerable groups of society.

--IANS

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