US 'supportive' of Europe's measures on Greece

The US is supportive of the EU's recent decisions regarding Greece and does not believe that other troubled euro countries will line up for the financial rescue mechanism now in place, an American official told this website.

"The US clearly has a very strong interest in the success of the European Union and we were very supportive in the efforts by the EU to work out an agreement with Greece," Robert Hormats, undersecretary of state for economic affairs said in an interview with the "EUobserver".

EU leaders last week agreed to set up a financial rescue mechanism together with the International Monetary Fund which would help out Athens if necessary, while strongly watching over the Greeks' spending cuts and economic reforms.

Washington is very impressed with the reform pledges made by the Greek government, the US official said, while admitting that "obviously reforms are unpopular in some quarters." Athens has already seen a series of strikes and protests turning violent amid rising popular discontent over the governments' economic policies.