Greek premier promises recovery from 2014

[September 09, 2013]  ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras says six years of recession that have plunged Greece into its deepest crisis in many decades will end next year and the country will reach pre-crisis, and probably higher, levels of prosperity by 2020.

Opening up the annual international trade fair in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, Samaras said Saturday the bulk of the effort to get the country out of the crisis has been done and that revenue will exceed spending in 2013, excluding debt repayment.

Samaras says Greece has done its part by achieving the largest ever reduction in the budget deficit and the country's creditors must do theirs by further lightening the debt burden.

[Associated Press]

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