Greece’s Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou spoke to SKAI television about the baseless nature of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum and the strengthening of Greece’s energy role in the Eastern Mediterranean, also responding to recent reports about Turkish surveys between Libya and Crete.
“Our country’s policy is not determined by media reports, but by actions in the field,” the minister emphasized, highlighting that Greece continues with concrete measures: The international tender for offshore blocks south of Crete is underway and closes on September 10. The Marine Spatial Planning, which had been pending for years, has moved forward. Offshore wind farms and other major energy projects have been initiated.
Mr. Papastavrou noted that Greece’s energy role has been significantly upgraded: “Our country plays a pivotal role in energy interconnections. The June European Council explicitly states the baseless nature of the Turkish-Libyan Memorandum. Meanwhile, American natural gas is channeled through Greece to northern countries, a fact recognized by both sides of the Atlantic.”
Referring to the tender for offshore deposits, the minister expressed cautious optimism: “Companies will decide based on purely business criteria. What matters is whether the deposits are commercially viable.”
