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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-10-08
CONTENTS
[01] Jack Lew: The sooner Europe decides on Greek debt relief the better
[01] Jack Lew: The sooner Europe decides on Greek debt relief the better
Greece's debt must be restructured and the sooner this happens the
better, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew repeated on Friday, noting that
Europe must decide quickly on the terms of Greek debt relief. Speaking
at a press briefing during the annual IMF and World Bank meetings in
Washington DC, Lew pointed out that this was the "first IMF meeting
for a long time when we are not dealing with something that can be
described as a Greek crisis."
"As the review progresses it must be completed promptly and we must
avoid finding ourselves at a moment that can again be described as a
Greek crisis. In the end, debt relief must be part of the solution so
the sooner the terms of this are made clear, the better," Lew said.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary noted that Greece was implementing the
measures agreed, some of which were harsh, and all sides were now
discussing how to move forward and implement the May agreement. This was
progress but the reforms must be completed, he added, and the reviews
concluded on time.
"What I said yesterday reflects my views and expresses what I have been
saying these past days but also for some time now. Apart from Greece
meeting the commitments and implementing harsh measures, there is also
a need for debt relief. I think that the quicker this takes on flesh
and bones, the better it will be," he said.
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