Greek Prime Minister certain country will exit crisis

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou expressed his certainty Saturday his socialist party will be the one to pull the indebted country out of its economic crisis. "We are continuing with the battle, not only because we know there is no other way but because we have faith in our powers, in the powers of Hellenism, in the possibilities of our country. I am certain we will succeed," stressed Papandreou in a speech at PASOK's national conference. The Greek premier put an end to rumours of snap elections because of the country's economic and financial crisis amid growing pressure. "The citizens will judge us in 2013 and by that time not only will we have achieved Greece emerging from the crisis, but we will have completed so many and so important reforms that will lay the basis for a different course in Greece's future," Papandreou said. The Prime Minister charged that the previous conservative government is mainly at fault for the current financial crisis. Main opposition New Democracy spokesman Yiannis Mihelakis said in response to the speech: "He (Papandreou) acknowledged the economic deadlock, but said nothing about his policy which has dissolved the economy and society." The European Union and International Monetary Fund bailed out Athens last year with a package worth 110 billion euros ($160 billion) but the country remains in serious financial difficulty. At an emergency meeting last July, eurozone countries agreed to provide Greece with another 109 billion euros, with an additional 50 billion euros in assistance to come from the private sector via a voluntary rollover of bonds. An EU-IMF-ECB mission auditing Greece's finances left Athens on Friday saying that "good progress" had been made on a fresh revamp of Greece's finances, but that more time is needed to draft a new 2012 budget.