Tsipras to speak at Greek crisis debate at Clinton Foundation during NY visit

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is to join a discussion about the Greek crisis at the Clinton Foundation in New York on Sunday, Kathimerini understands.

Tsipras is travelling to New York on Saturday to take part in the United Nations General Assembly and will attend the discussion on the sidelines. 

The discussion, which is to focus on boosting growth in Greece and southeastern Europe will take place in the context of the annual conference of the Clinton Global Initiative, a venture of former US president Bill Clinton. 

Among those set to deliver speeches at the event are Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and the head of the association of Greek banks Louka Katseli, while Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and investor George Soros are also set to join the discussion.

Former Athens 2004 organizing committee chief Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki is to deliver the opening speech for the event which will be broadcast by CNN.

One session of the event is to focus on improving economic competitiveness and boosting innovation as well as boosting entrepreneurship, particularly among the young.

During his visit to New York, Tsipras is expected to have a brief talk with US President Barack Obama. He is also expected to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly for talks expected to focus on the refugee crisis. 

Late on Thursday, Obama and Tsipras spoke by telephone with the US President backing Greece's efforts to secure debt relief and expressing solidarity for Greece and the EU in their "response to an extraordinary surge in refugees and migrants."