NEWS

Tsipras hails US as strategic partner as Trump eyes defense

Tsipras hails US as strategic partner as Trump eyes defense

In a televised exchanged with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ahead of their talks, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras described America as a strategic partner while US leader Donald Trump lauded Greece's recovery and looked forward to closer cooperation in the defense sector. 

“Greece has gone through a lot,” Trump said, adding that there is bilateral cooperation in many areas, including the crucial defense sector. “They are upgrading their fleets,” Trump said of Greek authorities, adding that “the F-16 is a great plane.” 

Tsipras, for his part, stressed the role of Greece as an important strategic partner for the US in a sensitive area. 

On Monday night, Tsipras met with the head of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde. Both he and Lagarde stressed that a current bailout review should be completed as soon as possible and underlined the need for debt relief for Greece. 

In a statement released by his office, Tsipras said he hoped the IMF would play a "crucial and decisive role" in discussions on Greek debt relief. 

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