Greece is moving to cement its position as a vital energy conduit for Europe, leveraging deepening cooperation with the United States to secure the continent's natural gas supply.
Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum this week in Washington. The strategic talks, held on the sidelines of the Transatlantic Gas Security Summit, focused heavily on expanding the "vertical corridor" project.
The ambitious infrastructure network aims to receive liquefied natural gas produced in the U.S. at Greek port terminals before piping it northward to markets across southeastern and eastern Europe.
Following the high-level meeting, which included Greek Ambassador to the U.S. Antonis Alexandridis and U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, Mr. Papastavrou emphasized that Athens has successfully transformed into a "reliable hub for energy security" in the broader Mediterranean region.
The discussions also highlighted a shift in Greece's domestic energy policy.
Mr. Papastavrou stated that the next critical phase of Athens' strategy is to aggressively explore and exploit potential offshore natural gas discoveries within Greek territory.
By tapping into its own domestic reserves alongside American LNG imports, Greece aims to bolster its national economy while directly contributing to European energy sufficiency amid ongoing global supply chain shifts.