US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew brought some badly-needed words of support to Greece when he visited Athens on Thursday, suggesting that the turmoil in neighboring Turkey should strengthen Greece’s case for debt relief.
Lew made the comments during a Financial Times interview.
“I would hope [the recent regional upheaval] would change the climate in which discussions of debt relief happen, just because it’s the right thing to do on its own, and at a time when Greece is in a position [of] geopolitical significance that’s a good time to reinforce their fiscal future,” Mr Lew said.
Even despite the so-called coup attempt in Turkey last week, Lew said to the Financial Times, that Greece’s geostrategic place in the region should not be underestimated, citing the transit of over a million refugees through the country.
Greece’s leading daily newspaper Kathimerini noted that Greek officials, including Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras, welcomed Lew’s comments and were happy to promote Greece’s geostrategic role in the region.