US Piles Support, Urges Greeks to Stay the Austerity Course

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou (L) welcomes US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) during their meeting in Athens, Greece, on 17 July 2011. EPA/BGNES

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has declared strong support on part of the US government for the austerity measures that Greece has taken up in order to rectify its sovereign debt crisis.

Clinton was in Athens on Sunday where she encouraged Greece to go through with painful reforms.

She had talks with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos. Clinton had arrived Saturday night after talks with Libya's rebel transitional leaders in Turkey.

She said she was confident that the reform program approved by the Greek Parliament at the end of June will help out, although she was aware of the sacrifices that the people must make.

"Sometimes one has to take bitter medicine in order to battle serious illnesses," Clinton said, as cited by DPA.

"I am pleased to be here during these challenging times to demonstrate unequivocally the strong support the United States has for Greece. We stand by the people and government of Greece as you put your country back on a path to economic stability and prosperity. We have a lot riding on our relationship together," she told a news conference with Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis.

"Friends prove themselves in difficult times and, as we know, Greece is going through a difficult time. The U.S. has stood by us in a decisive manner," Lambrindis said in turn.

Clinton's meetings with top Greek officials come as Greece braces for for an emergency summit on Thursday in Brussels of the leaders of the 17 euro zone countries at which they will attempt to forge a deal on a second bailout for Greece's sovereign debt crisis.

After it was granted an EU-IMF bailout loan of EUR 110 B in May 2010, according to the EC, Greece is now said to need another EUR 115 B to keep it afloat until mid-2014.

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