U.S. official urges Greece to make 'serious move' for bailout deal

ATHENS (Reuters) - A senior U.S. State Department official on Wednesday repeated warnings from Washington that Greece had to make a "serious move" to break a deadlock with its international creditors. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Amanda Sloat met Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and reaffirmed recent messages from President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, a statement from the U.S. embassy in Athens said. It said she underscored "the urgency of Greece making a serious move to reach a pragmatic compromise with its creditors" and noted that "failure to reach an agreement would create immediate hardship for Greece and broad uncertainties for Europe and the global economy." (Reporting by James Mackenzie)