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ATHENS - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday emphasized Washington’s strong support for Greece’s commitment to right its debt-ridden economy with austerity measures and thanked the government for its contributions to NATO-led operations in Libya and diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.
On her first visit to Athens as secretary of state, Clinton said Greece could rely on unequivocal US support for its efforts to emerge from a debt crisis that has shaken the eurozone and rattled the global economy.
At a news conference with Greece’s foreign minister, Stavros Lambrinidis, she praised the determination of the government to impose austerity measures Parliament approved last month amid violent street protests. Comparing the measures to “chemotherapy to get rid of the cancer,’’ she emphasized the price of inaction would have been much higher.
Her visit - the second leg of a 12-stop diplomatic tour that started in Turkey - comes as Greece prepares for an emergency meeting on Thursday in Brussels, where leaders of the 17 eurozone countries will attempt to hammer out a deal on a second bailout.
Lambrinidis said Greece has made progress. The Socialist government’s success in pushing through the deeply unpopular austerity measures, he added, had saved Greece, which had been downgraded several times by international credit rating agencies.
“Many had gambled on the collapse of Greece and of Europe,’’ Lambrinidis said. “But all have been proven wrong.’’
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
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On her first visit to Athens as secretary of state, Clinton said Greece could rely on unequivocal US support for its efforts to emerge from a debt crisis that has shaken the eurozone and rattled the global economy.
At a news conference with Greece’s foreign minister, Stavros Lambrinidis, she praised the determination of the government to impose austerity measures Parliament approved last month amid violent street protests. Comparing the measures to “chemotherapy to get rid of the cancer,’’ she emphasized the price of inaction would have been much higher.
Her visit - the second leg of a 12-stop diplomatic tour that started in Turkey - comes as Greece prepares for an emergency meeting on Thursday in Brussels, where leaders of the 17 eurozone countries will attempt to hammer out a deal on a second bailout.
Lambrinidis said Greece has made progress. The Socialist government’s success in pushing through the deeply unpopular austerity measures, he added, had saved Greece, which had been downgraded several times by international credit rating agencies.
“Many had gambled on the collapse of Greece and of Europe,’’ Lambrinidis said. “But all have been proven wrong.’’
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
