US President scheduled to depart for Germany after his speech at the Niarchos Foundation.
US President Barack Obama is visiting the Acropolis in Athens, on his second and final day of his visit to Greece, prior to delivering his scheduled speech on democracy at the Niarchos Foundation later, Wednesday.
Obama is currently receiving a tour guide of the antiquities at the Acropolis by the competent curator, and head of the Antiquities department, Eleni Banou, under draconian security measures.
The archaeological sites of the acropolis and the surrounding areas have been blocked off to the general public until 2pm. Barack Obama is scheduled to depart for Berlin immediately upon completing his speech on democracy at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
White House correspondent Josh Lederman covered the tour guide and snapped the photos of Barack Obama in the Acropolis Museum and on the ancient site.
Obama: Greece has a tough road ahead
The President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos welcomed US President Barack Obama at the Presidential Palace. Pavlopoulos expressed his gratitude to President Obama for the solidarity on the humanitarian crisis, adding his belief that President-elect Donald Trump would continue on a similar path. Commenting on the Cypriot problem, Pavlopoulos underlined that a fast solution was necessary based on international law.
He added that challenging the Lausanne Treaty was unacceptable, referring to recent provocative statements by the Turkish leader Recep Erdogan. On his part, President Obama thanked President Pavlopoulos and the Greek people on their hospitality and partnership. Her reiterated the strong ties between the two countries, adding the need for a collaborative effort by all on the refugee crisis. He underlined his commitment to offering assistance to Greece on the economic crisis, adding, however, that more work lay ahead on the economic front in order for Greece to exit the current crisis.
Barack Obama underscored the significance of a united and stable EU for for the global economy and security.
US President to depart for Germany
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.
