Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who previously expressed confidence that Germany had done enough to avoid a downturn, plays down fears of a prolonged recession. "The German economy's prospects are very good," he says at a press conference with his Cypriot counterpart, citing significant investments in the country including in battery factories. Germany fell into a recession around the turn of the year, official figures show, as inflation and higher interest rates curbed demand in Europe's largest economy. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES