The Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, during the completion of his visit to Riyadh, met with the Energy Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud. They agreed that Greece and Saudi Arabia can collaborate through their respective ministries – Maritime and Energy – toward submitting a joint proposal. The discussion included cooperation between Greece, the United States, and Saudi Arabia within the framework of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and their common position regarding the Net Zero Framework (NSF) in shipping, which has already yielded results. It should be noted that last October, the IMO decided to postpone the decision on adopting the NZF by one year.
Papastavrou meets with Saudi counterpart: Focus on energy
The two ministers also discussed the interconnection between Greece and Saudi Arabia (Saudi-Greek Interconnection), emphasizing that it is proceeding according to schedule and that the feasibility study will be completed by the end of the second quarter. Regarding the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud emphasized that Saudi Arabia will support Greece’s inclusion as a full member in the relevant scheme. Finally, there was reference to the role that our country can play as a hub for hydrogen imports from Saudi Arabia.
For his part, Mr. Papastavrou emphasized that Greece is “a voice of realism in Europe, regarding energy.” He stressed that Greece is proceeding normally with its hydrocarbon exploration program, while also referencing the Vertical Corridor.
