The Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou met with US Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker in Athens on Wednesday to discuss the two countries’ energy cooperation and recent developments concerning the Greece-Cyprus-Israel electricity interconnection.
“Our discussion focused on the energy sector, which constitutes a key pillar of the strategic cooperation between Greece and United States,” Papastavrou told journalists. “I briefed [the US official] on positive developments regarding the progress of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel electricity interconnection, a project of broader energy and geopolitical significance. This is a project that also concerns the United States, as recently highlighted by a letter from members of Congress, including Democrat Brad Schneider and Republican Gus Bilirakis.”
Greece is at the epicentre of energy developments and serves as a pillar of security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeastern Europe, the Greek minister stressed.
Vertical Gas Corridor to expand into North Macedonia and Serbia
The meeting between Papastavrou and Hooker took place ahead of the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the expansion of the Vertical Gas Corridor towards North Macedonia and Serbia, scheduled for Friday in Thessaloniki, in the context of the Thessaloniki International Fair launching on Saturday.
The memorandum will be signed between representatives of the Gas Transmission System Operators of the participating countries (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine) and the two new countries to which the corridor will be expanded.
Once completed, the interstate pipeline is projected to transport an estimated 20-25 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Greek terminals to Central Europe.
The strategic initiative is set to alter the region’s energy landscape and elevate Athens as an energy hub in the region, securing Europe’s energy independence from Russian supplies and significantly enhancing its geopolitical standing.
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