Greece considered riskier place to invest than Syria

LONDON (AP) - The world's markets may believe that the worst of the financial crisis in Europe is over after three turbulent years, but those people who control the purse strings of the world's businesses are not breathing any easier.

An annual survey of finance directors from global business consultancy BDO finds that the crisis over too much government debt in Europe remains one of their key concerns - so much so that Greece is considered a riskier place to invest and set up business in than war-torn Syria.

Only Iran and Iraq are considered more risky than Greece, which also struggles to convince its international creditors that it deserves bailout loans to avoid bankruptcy and a possible euro exit.

Despite recent signs of slowing down, China is considered the most attractive country for expansion, closely followed by the United States. Others such as Brazil, India, Germany and the U.K. also feature in the top 10 of countries ripe for expansion.