Stavros Papastathrou participated in the Three Seas Initiative Summit held over the two days of April 28-29 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Specifically, the Minister of Environment and Energy participated in the roundtable discussion titled “Advancing Energy Corridors in the Three Seas Region.” The discussion was organized by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and included counterpart ministers from Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Latvia, and other southeastern European countries, as well as European Commission officials, including Director-General for Energy, Ditte Juul Jørgensen.
Read: Information update between Papastathrou and Wright: Block 2 and US steps for energy security
Papastathrou in Croatia: participated in the Three Seas Initiative Summit
At the meeting, Mr. Papastathrou highlighted Greece’s leading role in the Vertical Corridor and the energy agreements achieved at P-TEC that are shaping the energy landscape in our region. In his address, Mr. Papastathrou referred to four key points:
First, Mr. Papastathrou briefed his counterparts on the agreement reached a few weeks ago between the Transmission System Operators of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, in cooperation with the European Commission, which signals a substantial leap in maturity for the Vertical Corridor. As Mr. Papastathrou emphasized, the agreement ensures regulatory clarity, competitive and predictable tariffs, as well as the possibility of long-term capacity commitments, enhancing the commercial viability of the corridor. The result is a transition from fragmented flows to a reliable and financeable energy network that strengthens supply security in the broader region.
Second, he welcomed the tangible and decisive steps taken yesterday with the significant 20-year agreement signed between AKTOR LNG USA and Albanian AlbGaz, and with the agreement for the South Interconnection Bosnia-Croatia natural gas pipeline, characterizing them as “decisive steps leading to further independence from Russian natural gas.”
Third, he highlighted the need for the European Commission to safeguard the bypass through TurkStream and compliance with the prohibition from Turkey, and called on the Commission to proceed with bold funding for energy infrastructure projects as well as adaptation of the regulatory framework, emphasizing that “infrastructure follows the regulatory framework and investments follow certainty.”
Finally, Mr. Papastathrou announced that there will be a meeting in the near future with Serbia and North Macedonia to accelerate interconnection projects between the three countries within the framework of the extended Vertical Axis.
Stavros Papastathrou’s participation on the first day of the Summit
It is noted that on the first day of the Summit, Tuesday, April 28, Mr. Papastathrou participated in the Economic Forum of the Summit as a speaker on the panel “The Adriatic-Ionian Corridor” with counterparts from Central and Eastern Europe. At midday Tuesday, Mr. Papastathrou, together with the US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, and the President and CEO of Japan’s Foreign Trade Organization, Isiguro Norihiko, participated in a closed working lunch discussion of the Economic Forum on “The Turn to Asia.”
It is noted that on Tuesday afternoon (28/04), Mr. Papastathrou held a bilateral meeting with Croatia’s Minister of Economic Relations responsible for energy, Ante Šušnjar. Also, together with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Deputy Foreign Minister Harris Theocharis, they met with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Tasoulas.
“Greece leads energy security and independence in southeastern Europe and western Balkans”
Upon departing Croatia, Mr. Papastathrou assessed the national delegation’s participation, summarizing: “The Three Seas Initiative Summit has been completed. The leading role that our country, our homeland, has in the energy security and independence of the southeastern Europe and western Balkans region was clearly highlighted. The energy agreements signed last November at the European Energy Summit at P-TEC constitute the flagship for southeastern Europe’s energy security.”
