The Greek sovereign debt crisis could threaten the stability of the global financial system if a solution is not found, US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke warned on Wednesday.

Bernanke said the central bank was following the situation closely, in response to a question at a news conference in Washington.

"If there were a failure to resolve that situation, it would pose threats to the European financial systems, the global financial system and to European political unity," he said.

"I think the Europeans appreciate the incredible importance of resolving the Greek situation," he said.

"It's a very difficult situation," he said.

"We've been in close communication with our colleagues in Europe."

The Fed's policy-setting body, the Federal Open Market Committee, had discussed the Greek problem in the two-day meeting that ended on Wednesday, Bernanke said.

"It's one of several potential financial risks that we're facing now."

Bernanke stressed that the Fed is not part of the negotiations to resolve the crisis, but has been "kept well-informed," citing a conference call over the weekend with the G7 (Group of Seven) rich countries on the issue.

"We are mostly just following the situation closely and making sure as best we can that our own institutions are well-positioned relative to sovereign debt in the so-called peripheral countries," he said, referring to the smaller, ailing eurozone economies such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

"A disorderly default in one of those countries would no doubt roil financial markets globally. It would have a big impact on credit spreads, on stock prices, and so on. And so in that respect, I think the effects in the United States would be quite significant," he added.

channelnewsasia.com