Alexis Tsipras, leader of the main opposition 'Coalition of Radical Left' (SYRIZA) party is in the USA for a five-day working trip. His first stop was San Francisco, on January 21, where he held meetings with representatives of the Greek-American community, followed by a visit to Washington D.C. the next day.

In the American capital, Tsipras visited the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), before delivering a speech at the Brookings Institution, titled Greece and the Economic Challenges Ahead.

Tsipras’ remarks touched on themes such as the economic and social prospects for Greece, its relationship with the rest of Europe, the reforms he deems necessary to address the crisis, as well as the role the USA can play in assisting Greece and Europe in their efforts.

Introductory remarks to the speech were provided by Brookings Institute managing director William Antholis, while the Q&A session that followed was moderated by Brookings’ senior fellow Domenico Lombardi. The event was attended by academics, analysts, journalists and ambassadors, including Greece’s Christos Panagopoulos and Cyprus’ Pavlos Anastasiadis.

After the event, Tsipras attended a dinner at the American-Hellenic Institute. Tsipras is expected to have further meetings with officials in Washington D.C. and New York in the following days.