Greek PM presents government's 2016-2021 plan for 'fair growth'

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrives to deliver a speech at the Acropolis museum with the ancient Parthenon temple seen in the background in Athens, Greece June 16, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

ATHENS - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras presented on Thursday his government's 2016-2021 plan for "fair growth", pledging brighter days for the suffering Greek people after six years of harsh austerity introduced to overcome the debt crisis.

A painful circle closes for Greece following the completion of the first review of the third Greek bailout, he told a forum on development hosted at the Acropolis Museum. Focus will be shifted from now on to growth boosting policies to address the high unemployment rates challenge and redistribute burdens and wealth, he said.

"For first time in the past six years we have a stable macroeconomic, fiscal and investment environment. The main focus now is development and all government efforts are geared towards one strategic target: promoting fair growth," he said.

Tsipras criticized as unsustainable and socially unfair previous growth plans presented by his predecessors until the Radical Left assumed office in January 2015.

Outlining the main pillars of the Left-led ruling coalition's strategy, he talked about "productive reconstruction" and restart of major infrastructure projects across Greece which had "frozen" during the crisis.

He also referred to a series of financing tools available from now in particular to small- and medium- sized enterprises as part of efforts to attract more investments and create "long-lasting and decent" job positions.