Department of State Spokesperson Toria Nuland responds to a question from @Lacerebra on the situation in Greece during a Twitter Briefing at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. on June 20, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Stavros Lambrinidis signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Hellenic Republic to reduce the incentive for further pillage of Greece’s cultural heritage. The Secretary and Foreign Minister signed the MOU at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, on July 17, 2011.

The agreement will strengthen collaboration to reduce looting and trafficking of antiquities, and provide for their return to Greece. It also aims to further the international interchange of such materials for cultural, educational, and scientific purposes. The two countries, both parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, entered into the agreement… more »

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis in Athens, Greece, on July 17, 2011. The Secretary and her counterpart discussed ongoing efforts in the NATO coalition operations in Libya, the situation in Syria, and shared challenges.

Secretary Clinton said, “…I am pleased to be here during these challenging times to demonstrate unequivocally the strong support that the United States has for Greece. We know that we are your friend and we are your ally and we are proud to be both. We stand by the people and Government of Greece as you put your country back on a path to economic stability and prosperity.

“It is, for us, essential because we have a lot riding on our relationship together. As a NATO ally, we appreciate Greece’s partnership on a shared agenda that spans the globe. The foreign minister and I have… more »

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Turkey July 15-16, 2011, to participate in meetings of the Contact Group on Libya and conduct bilateral meetings with Turkish officials. The Contact Group meetings allow the international community to come together and coordinate views on our next steps with respect to Libya. They also allow us to further assess international progress in implementing UNSCRs 1970 and 1973 as part of our efforts to protect civilians and to facilitate the start of an inclusive Libyan national dialogue that will lead to the country’s reconciliation and reconstruction. While in Turkey the Secretary will also meet with President Gul, Prime Minister Erdogan, Foreign Minister Davutoglu and other political leaders to discuss Libya, Syria, and a full range of shared bilateral and multilateral issues.

Secretary Clinton will travel to Greece… more »