Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is telling a German industry forum that debt-ridden Greece has "great potential" and can emerge from its deep economic crisis.

As a potentially disastrous debt default looms just weeks away for Greece, Papandreou said Tuesday at a conference of the Federation of German Industries that "we are borrowing to repay."

The prime minister outlined Greece's efforts to enforce reforms agreed in exchange for bailout loans.

He said that "so many people in Greece ask me, is all the pain worthwhile, can we make it? ... my answer is, yes we can."

Papandreou will meet later Tuesday with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Greece's international creditors are pressing Athens to implement fully austerity measures. Without the next batch of loans, Greece would default in mid-October.