ATHENS, Greece, July 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed Greece's austerity program Sunday and thanked Athens for blocking a flotilla to Gaza.
Clinton, visiting Athens on a round-the-world trip, assured Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis of "unequivocal" American support for Greece "during these challenging times" as it imposes drastic cutbacks to avert bankruptcy, the State Department said.
She said the two countries are united in condemning repression in Libya and Syria and thanked the Greeks for hosting "coalition military assets at Souda Bay and other sites close to Libya."
Clinton also commended Greece "for seeking a constructive approach … to addressing the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza and working to avoid the risks that come with attempts to sail directly to Gaza," referring to Greece's thwarting of an activist flotilla that tried to sail from its ports to challenge the Israeli blockade of the territory.
Clinton and Lambrinidis also signed an agreement at the Acropolis Museum to crack down on black-market trading in Greek cultural artifacts.
