Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos at the State Department on January 17. During their meeting, Kerry expressed the US support and solidarity for Greece and the Greek people over the recovery of Greek economy. He congratulated Venizelos on Greece's assumption of the EU Presidency and stressed that "we look forward to cooperation" with the aim of exiting the crisis, as well as on a series of issues, such as fighting terrorism and dealing with issues in the Balkans and the Middle East.

On his part, Venizelos presented the EU presidency's priorities and stressed the importance of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). He reiterated Greece's role as factor of stability in the Balkans and the Middle East and added that "we share the same values" with the US on foreign policy and security issues. Finally, Venizelos invited Kerry to visit Greece and underlined Greece's readiness to contribute in Washington's peace efforts in the Middle East as well as to host meetings or international congresses. Before arriving at the State Department, the Greek foreign minister briefed the US Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew on the Greek Presidency's priorities and the prospects of the Greek economy.