Obama’s visit to Berlin to decide substance of his debt relief comments in Greece (videos)

US President to depart for Germany on Wednesday

The Greek government hopes to capitalise on the strong words of support and solidarity regarding a possible debt relief expressed by US President Barack Obama during his talks with both the President of Greece, Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, Tuesday. The Greek side appears very satisfied with the results of the visit so far, as it believes Obama’s statements will act as a message towards Greece’s creditors, signalling the need for a relaxing of the harsh austerity measures imposed by Brussels and Berlin on a faltering economy and, more importantly, a the necessity for a debt relief. Greek government sources claim that it was the first time a US head of state delivered such strong statements on matters of finance. The outgoing US President is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Thursday, where talks will focus, among other things, on the economic conditions in Greece. The Greek side wishes the intervention of Barack Obama on the Greek debt will be put forward during his visit to Berlin and his talks with the German Chancellor. Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is aware of the significance of Obama’s trip to Germany, which is why he called on Angela Merkel to immediately consent to a debt alleviation, during his joint press conference with Barack Obama. Despite the fact that the favourable statements by the US President were welcomed by the Greek government, there are concerns that his exhortation for further reforms and the need for more work ahead to succeed, could be linked to demands by the IMF for more and harsher measures. Athens is particularly satisfied with the warm climate during Obama’s visit to Greece, and his praise for the efforts made by the Greek people during the refugee crisis, while his remarks on the Cypriot problem by reaffirming his will for a sustainable and just solution to the problem were also welcomed by the Greek side. Barack Obama is scheduled to wrap up his visit to Greece on Wednesday, by delivering a speech on democracy at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, before visiting the Acropolis and departing for Berlin.