PM urges investors to come to Greece
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged foreign investors on Thursday to come to Greece “now and and not in the future.”
Addressing the Economist conference at the seaside resort of Lagonisi in southern Athens, Tsipras said “investors must take advantage of the opportunities (the country has to offer).”
“They must invest and support our big effort,” he said.
He insisted that Greece is gradually moving away from its years-long financial crisis, and that his government has created the conditions, over the last two years, that will allow it to eventually move forward without being monitored by international credit programs.
Greece, he said, will tap international markets as a result of “its own efforts” and with a positive outlook.
The reforms put in place by his government, he insisted, has made the country more investment-friendly, without compromising its principles with regard to equality and the environment.
He noted that Greece is among the leading countries in terms of reform implementation and noted that the“nightmare” of unemployment has been in a downward trend over the last two years, even though it still remains high.
“We must accelerate the process by luring more foreign investment,” he said, adding that Greece “must move beyond the EU average in terms of investment.”
This is the target, he said, outlining Greece’s comparative advantages such as energy, transport, manufacturing, tourism and research and a highly-skilled labor force. Greece, he said, is a “developed country with many competitive advantages.”
