Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and the US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, at Maximos Mansion.
During the meeting, the strategic nature of Greek-American relations and energy cooperation between Greece and the US was confirmed, in view of the 6th Ministerial Meeting of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC) to be held in Athens on November 6 and 7.
The mutual desire to strengthen this cooperation and its importance for the energy security of Central and Eastern Europe was also stressed.
The Prime Minister referred to Greece’s crucial role in the exploitation and development of the Vertical Corridor, as well as the infrastructure it has developed, such as the LNG terminals in Revithoussa and Alexandroupolis, which transform it into a hub for the transport of liquefied natural gas and an energy gateway to Moldova and Ukraine.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis underlined the strategic importance of Greek shipping for LNG transport, while characterising the simultaneous presence of ExxonMobil and Chevron in Greece as a vote of confidence from the US.
The US delegation to the meeting also included Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas, Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg, US Ambassador to Athens Kimberly Guilfoyle, as well as senior officials from the US government financial institutions Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Export-Import Bank (EXIM).
The meeting was attended, on behalf of the government, by the Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Nikos Tsafos, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Andreas Fryganas, the Head of the Diplomatic Office of the Prime Minister Ambassador Milton Nicolaides, the Chief Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister Michael Arghyrou, and the Director of the Prime Minister’s Office for International Strategic Planning and Communication Aristotelia Peloni.
At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister stated: “Welcome. It’s a pleasure. Madam Ambassador, she’s been very busy, as I’m sure you’re aware since you arrived. But it’s a great opportunity to have you visit us on the occasion of this incredibly important gathering that is taking place in Greece.
It’s not very often that we have so many representatives of the US government come to Greece simultaneously. I guess it’s a pretty good indication of the strength of our strategic partnership, but also of the particular importance that we place on the energy partnership that we’re currently building.
I think the prospects for future cooperation are tremendous. Greece is blessed with a very unique geographic location, and we are the natural entry point for American liquefied natural gas into Europe. The Vertical Corridor is a project of great geopolitical and economic importance to us, and we’re happy that it’s becoming a reality. We’re looking forward to further expanding our cooperation by sharing the same fundamental principles.
It’s also very promising that American oil and gas companies are currently present in Greece. I understand that important announcements will also be made tomorrow so that after many decades, we will actually have the first exploratory drillings taking place in Greece in the near future.
So we have a full agenda, and I’m happy that since we last met, Mr. Secretary, we’ve made significant progress in driving forward a project that I think is of great strategic interest to both Greece and the United States.
Let me stop here and welcome, again, the Ambassador and your entire delegation to our office”.
The US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, said: “Thank you so much. Prime Minister and I must say I really enjoy doing two a days with you. Wonderful to be with you this morning and again this evening with all my esteemed colleagues and our counterparts on the Greece side.
But this is a historic occasion. I’m so honoured that I’m able to be here during this time for the sixth annual P-TEC conference. Delighted, thrilled that it is in Athens, the world is watching. This, as I mentioned to you this morning, is historic in that we have over 80 US government officials that have descended upon Athens for this very important conference to highlight the strength of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Greece.
Greece has always been a steadfast ally of the United States, a strategic ally, geo-politically in the region. You’re correct, this is going to be historic. We have announcements to make that are going to be significant for regional stability as it relates to liquid natural gas, with Greece being the energy hub up throughout the Vertical Corridor, in addition to other announcements.
And thank you for working so strategically and steadfast, all of your counterparts, your ministers, to make this happen. And thank you to my colleagues, Secretary of the Interior, Burgum, for being here. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, Secretary from the State Department, Mike Rigas, the Under Secretary of energy dominance, Jacob Helberg. We have DFC here, Conor Coleman, a tonne of folks here that are willing to make deals happen this week, in a matter of two days”.
The US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum noted: “Well, Prime Minister, it’s great to be back here with you and with your team. It’s especially great to be back now that we have our fantastic ambassador, Guilfoyle, officially in residence here. What a team from the US that’s here! I think this reflects the strength and the importance of this long-standing relationship between our two countries, but that relationship is only getting stronger.
It was just six months ago when Minister Papastavrou reached out to me, began a number of dialogues across a number of things. Then here we are, as you say, sir, with the Vertical Corridor, ongoing dialogues, about three-plus-one, announcement-specific deals that can be struck. But all of this reflects the moment that we are in time and history, which is that energy right now has never been more important.
Energy diplomacy has been one of the tools that President Trump has used to bring peace to the world. I think, and you, sir, understand that energy abundance is part of what’s going to bring prosperity to your people, but it’s also one of the things that’s going to help us end the conflict in Eastern Europe. So, when Kimberly says, ‘Historic’, there’s nothing short of peace and prosperity underway here.
Again, grateful to your leadership. Thank you for inviting us all to be back here again as we move this relationship forward”.
The US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated: “Mr. Prime Minister, it’s an honour to be here. Our two great nations have a long history of partnership and alliance across a range of industries. Energy is life, and the lack of affordable, reliable, secure energy is just shrinking opportunity, poverty, and not where we want to go. Greece has been a leading trading nation, the leader on trade to the rest of Europe, and I think going to be a leader in AI. We’re excited to talk about so much partnerships here on energy, on AI, on shipping, and so many areas of cooperation.
Last comment on shipping, I want to thank you for your bold leadership on this IMO issue, where there was a giant bureaucracy that wanted to make shipping more expensive and have a global carbon tax. The United States was strongly opposed to that, and I appreciate your leadership here in Europe, so we can keep shipping free and affordable”.
The US Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas said: “Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. Again, it’s great to see you again. We saw each other last week at St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai. I also want to thank you for your steadfast support of religious freedom, both here and in Egypt. Also, I just want to thank you for the work that we’re doing bilaterally between our two countries. I know we have a number of agreements in the works to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Greece and the US and how we can strengthen how our diplomats are working together. We look forward to continuing, broadening and deepening and strengthening the very long-standing relationship between the Hellenic Republic and the United States. So thank you again”.
