US officials urge Greece to cooperate with creditors
Xinhua, February 7, 2015 Adjust font size:
Greece must cooperate with its European partners and the International Monetary Fund to overcome the debt crisis, U.S. officials told the Greek government on Friday, as credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the ailing economy.
"The United States believes that it is very important for the Greek government to work cooperatively with its European colleagues, as well as with the IMF, U.S. Ambassador to Greece David D. Pearce said in meetings with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and members of the Greek government," a press release issued by the U.S. embassy in Athens said.
"At the same time, in the view of the United States, Greece must make reforms that make foreign investment in Greece more attractive so the country can meet its international obligations and return to prosperity," the announcement added.
In the talks with cabinet ministers such as Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis the U.S. ambassador was joined by Deputy Assistant Secretary Daleep Singh from the U.S. Department of Treasury, who was on a two-day visit to Athens for contacts with Greek government officials.
Tsipras has pledged to Greek people that his government will put an end to austerity with no delay and will renegotiate with lenders a substantial further debt relief, an idea which has not received a warm welcome in both sides of the Atlantic.
On Wednesday night the European Central Bank (ECB) stepped up the pressure to the new government to ease its rhetoric by announcing that as of Feb. 11 it will no longer accept Greek state bonds as collateral for liquidity to Greece's banking sector.
On Friday evening Standard & Poor's downgraded Greece's long-term credit rating from "B" to "B negative" citing the ECB decision, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
Other international credit ratings agencies have issued similar warnings recently that they will downgrade Greek economy if a compromise between Greece and creditors will not be achieved soon.
On Sunday Tsipras was expected to reveal his intentions on how he plans to proceed when addressing the parliament ahead of a confidence vote on Tuesday night and a critical Euro group meeting on Wednesday. Endit