Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastaurou, participated in the Atlantic Council’s high-level dinner titled “Powering the Future: A US-European High-Level Dialogue on Electrification,” held in New York on Tuesday evening (09/22). At the event, he highlighted Greece’s leading role in shaping the new European energy architecture, the importance of energy interconnections, and the urgent need to address the weaponization of energy.
Read more: Papastaurou’s energy and drilling talks in New York: meetings with Chris Wright, Chevron, and ExxonMobil
Speaking before senior officials from the United States and across Europe, Minister Papastaurou stressed that energy must never be used as a tool for political pressure or geopolitical blackmail — whether by Russia, Iran, or any other country. His central message was clear: “Energy is life and interconnections are bridges. Threats and obstacles to energy interconnections undermine growth and prosperity.”
Stavros Papastaurou in New York: what he said about European energy architecture
Papastaurou emphasized that strengthening energy interconnections is a prerequisite for greater security, resilience, and cooperation between nations. He underscored Greece’s pivotal strategic position and the importance of developing new energy corridors — with particular focus on the Greece–Cyprus–Israel interconnection, which he noted is of natural and significant interest to the American side as well, and the GREGY interconnection, which has the potential to link Egypt with Greece and the broader European energy market.
Special focus on Alexandroupolis
Minister Papastaurou made special reference to Alexandroupolis as a key energy gateway and a critical hub for regional energy security. Discussing the development of Greece’s domestic energy resources, he highlighted the participation of major international energy companies — including Chevron and ExxonMobil — in the Greek market. He noted that Greece is actively leveraging its comparative advantages, simultaneously strengthening both its energy security and its geopolitical standing.
Chevron’s seismic surveys to begin by end of 2026
Earlier in the day, the Minister met with Chevron’s head of operations in Greece, Ms. Beatrice Bienvenu, during which the timeline for the launch of seismic surveys was confirmed — set to begin before the end of 2026 in the Ionian Sea, as well as south of the Peloponnese and Crete. Papastaurou and Bienvenu discussed the next steps toward achieving shared objectives and maintaining the agreed schedule, despite a demanding operational timeline. It was underlined that the Greek government is actively developing and maturing the country’s hydrocarbons market, while reinforcing the confidence of international investors — adhering strictly to both project milestones and all environmental and safety requirements.
Ministerial meeting with his Irish counterpart
Also on Tuesday, Papastaurou participated in a ministerial meeting convened by Ireland’s Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment, Mr. Darragh O’Brien, to coordinate EU policy priorities ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey.
During the meeting, Papastaurou strongly condemned the fact that, to date, the Turkish COP31 presidency has not extended an invitation to the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, to attend the Leaders’ Summit. He stressed that this is a European issue — not a matter concerning Greece or Cyprus alone.
Unity of all 27 EU member states is essential
Addressing his European counterparts, Papastaurou stated that the unity of all 27 EU member states is a foundational principle of the European Union and cannot be subject to exceptions or selective exclusions. He reiterated Greece’s firm position with a clear message: “Either all member states participate in COP31 on equal terms — or none.”
The Minister also addressed the electrification transition as one of the key European priorities ahead of COP31 and as an area where broader convergence between the European Union and developing nations can be achieved. He simultaneously called for realistic expectations regarding the outcomes of this year’s conference.
The discussion concluded with Irish Minister Darragh O’Brien and European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, Mr. Wopke Hoekstra, both confirming the full solidarity of all participants with the Republic of Cyprus on the issue of its invitation and equal participation in COP31.
