ATHENS, Greece, July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- US Treasury
Secretary Jacob Lew said the Greek
government "has made significant progress'' in stabilizing the
economy and said the country is clearly rebounding from last year's
debt crisis, according to a press conference transcript released by
the government of Greece.
"It is extremely significant that we stand here before you today
with no fear that Greece may
default,'' Mr. Lew said in Athens
on Thursday.
Mr. Lew made his comments at a joint press availability with
Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos. As he has in the past,
Mr. Lew urged the European Union and the International Monetary
Fund to restructure Greece's debt.
Debt reduction negotiations are slated for the fall.
"Our opinion has always been known: Debt restructuring is
necessary to provide Greece with a
better future,'' Mr. Lew said. "Solutions leading to stability are
several and should be pursued as immediately as possible.
"It is important that these solutions are affordable and for the
long run to create a stable system that will allow Greece to meet its obligations,'' Mr. Lew
said.
Mr. Lew made his comments following meetings Thursday with Mr.
Tsakalotos and Greek Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras. The US Treasury Secretary stopped in Athens overnight on his way to a meeting of
G-20 finance chiefs in Chengdu,
China.
In his comments, Mr. Lew praised the government in Athens for recent efforts to cut the budget,
reform pensions and crack down on financial corruption. He urged
Greece to continue on the path of
reform, saying, "There are signs that Greece has moved beyond the crisis and is
growing."
"The right approach is a pragmatic one that gets to a bottom
line that leaves a very clear path forward that is stable and
affordable and sustainable," Mr. Lew said. "I certainly hope that
the discussion over the coming months produces clarity in that
regard."
Mr. Tsakalotos in his remarks said Mr. Lew heads to China as "a friend of Greece. And he will engage in important
conversations that must take place in order to make the decisions
on restructuring the Greek debt within the year."
For more information, please contact:
Dimitris Karamanis, PM's General
Secretary Office
Email
From the US: 011 30 698 295 9260
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SOURCE Government of Greece