What a nice story! The USA was closely monitoring the negotiations between Greece and its lenders and it was even advising the SYRIZA team on how to deal with “Berlin’s aggression” so that Greece remains in the eurozone and reaches a long-term agreement. In an exclusive story, Sunday edition of Kathimerini reports of the confidential report by Greece’s ambassador to the USA, Christos Panagopoulos. The ambassador’s report confirms the keen interest of Washington to Greece and the progress of negotiations in July.
“Washington had advised the previous SYRIZA-Independent Greeks government not to clash head-on with Germany and to show a willingness for reform in the weeks and months leading up to the July 13 agreement on a third bailout between Greece and its lenders.
A secret telegram sent to Athens by Greece’s Ambassador to the US, Christos Panagopoulos, on July 16 synopsized the relations between the two countries over the previous months.
Washington, for instance, advised Athens to avoid verbal attacks on the German government and to try to create a broad alliance including countries like the UK, France, Italy and Austria. The US made it clear that the coalition would have to convince these countries that it was serious about implementing reforms if they were to then, in turn, offer their support.
Panagopoulos also explains in his note that Washington’s strategy was to stress the geopolitical importance of keeping Greece in the single currency and the need for the eurozone to agree a further reduction of Greek debt.
Sources also told Kathimerini that it was Washington who emphasized the geopolitical angle to the Greek issue through NATO.
Panagopoulos describes in his telegram that there was frequent and extensive contact between Athens and Washington, including officials from the Treasury and the State Department, during the protracted negotiations that led to the signing of the third bailout in Brussels.” (short full story in English in ekathimerini)
I especially like this part:
“Washington, for instance, advised Athens to avoid verbal attacks on the German government” which was exactly to avoid “verbal attacks, campaigns via via social media” (via newsit.gr)
I suppose this gives an explanation why the Greek government was always treating with respect German FinMin Schaueble and why there was never any campaign to boycott German products.
Anyway, Prime Minister Tsipras is attending the UN General Assembly in New York over the weekend, he will certainly play the strong geostrategical card for the debt issue, the refugees crisis and the energy.
PS Tsipras was not on live connection with Washington while in Brussels, was he?
Good country to take financial advice from. We’re only 19 Trillion dollars in debt. Social Security Disability will run out of money next year and Social Security will be next. Also never saw a reform implemented. Every budget cut would “ruin our economy”.
Yeah, but we get to print our own money that everyone else (still) wants 🙂 Big difference, which just reinforces your point — Greece cannot afford to follow the American example. (Getting advice is always helpful).
Thanks for your post.
That kind of advice was rather successful, as you did point out
.
Anyway it was obvious US wanted to keep Greece in the eurozone.
US feared that if Greece leave euro.., instability would grow in the country and balkans.
Thanks again for all the effort of keeping the rest of us updated when it comes to Greece
🙂
What was promised in return for following the advice?
Did they also advise him to get rid of Varoufakis?
Is that why Tspiras became all nervous when he ‘won’ the referendum? Because it was against the ‘advice’ of the Americans?
The ‘invisible hand’ at play here.