ATHENS — Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that conditions are good to allow for a leap forward, a move towards growth that will reduce inequalities, speaking at an open discussion in the context of the annual general meeting of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), held in Athens on Tuesday.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and SEV's Chairman of the Board Dimitri Papalexoloupos also participated in this discussion with the Greek premier, the first remotely from New York city and the latter at the event's location, the "Hellenic Cosmos" cultural center of the Foundation of the Hellenic World (IME).

Greece "is rather well-prepared for a new leap in development," Mitsotakis observed.

Elaborating, the Greek premier said that "now is the time for investors to invest in Greece, and I say this in absolute certainty, that the Greek economy's prospects are looking extremely positive."

Mitsotakis expressed his firm belief that conditions are perfectly suitable for the country to progress forward, and not only leave behind "a very painful decade," but also "completely change the way it is placed on the international economic map."

"Now is the time…and I have no doubt that you too will meet the challenge of the times," he told his fellow participants.

Bourla: Vaccination program 'better in Greece than in the US'

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla urged Greek business people to take more initiatives, speaking during a discussion in the context of the annual general meeting of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), held in Athens on Tuesday.

Bourla was speaking with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and SEV's Chairman of the Board Dimitri Papalexopoulos via remote live connection from New York city, at the event held at the "Hellenic Cosmos" cultural center of the Foundation of the Hellenic World (IME).

"We have a gloden opportunity ahead of us and we need to make the best use of it," he noted.

Referring to the vaccination experience of family members in both the US and in Thessaloniki, Burla said that the way the vaccination program was carried out in Greece was "much better than in the US," noting that his positive comment does not only refer to how the vaccination campaign was organized, but more to the fact that it was based on a solid digital infrastructure right from the start.

Federation of Hellenic Enterprises SEV presents plan for growth

With Greece "not out of the woods quite yet" and while the pandemic still looms large, there is rising optimism that Greece can see strong rates of economic and social progress over the next few years, said the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises' (SEV) Chairman of the Board Dimitri Papalexopoulos at SEV's annual meeting event on Tuesday evening.

In an open discussion with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, the latter via remote connection in New York city, Papalexopoulos said "we, in the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, believe in this prospect and we consider this to be our main mission to serve."

Papalexopoulos noted that those who hoped the crisis would lead to a radical change of the productive model have not been justified yet, as despite interventions made, Greek economic competitiveness has not shown any fundamental improvement. He added, however, that there was optimism based on the creation of more start-up businesses yearning for progress, on established companies investing in green and digital future, their human capital and proper governance, and on global business leaders offering a vote of confidence in Greece's future and Greek youth returning home rich in experience.

He underlined that the business community has a lot to offer and that is a part of the solution, adding: "we all stand to gain when society, state and enterprises work together".

Papalexopoulos said SEV has selected six pylons on growth, for a business sector moving in line with society and the state, based on common goals: innovation, skills for all, digital transformation, green development, an upgrading of industry and rapprochement between enterprises and society.