The impact left on our country by the visit of American Interior Secretary Doug Bergman, as head of the US Energy Sovereignty Council, is significant, according to experts familiar with energy and geopolitical issues in the broader Mediterranean region.
His presence yesterday at the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal Station in Revithousa highlighted the strategic role of the island in Greek energy infrastructure and the dimensions it can have as a transit hub for energy supply to European Union countries.
This is because Revithousa imports liquefied natural gas from America via tankers. The LNG is converted to regular natural gas at Revithousa facilities “which have expanded in recent years and allow us to secure our country’s energy needs. A country without energy cannot function,” explains Professor Aristotle Tsiambiris (Chairman of the Department of International and European Studies at the University of Piraeus) to parapolitika.gr.
Revithousa strategic point for Greece – “Good relations between states will allow the pipeline to be built”
Revithousa represents the strategic point where Greece invested to address its energy adequacy problem, while also securing energy supply for EU states and gaining significant strategic benefits for our country’s future. It may also signal the restart of close Greece-US cooperation in the energy sector, because as Mr. Tsiambiris says, “there is always a geopolitical dimension to these projects.” He emphasizes that “it’s not the project that brings peace or cooperation. It’s peace and cooperation between states that bring projects. This is what people get confused about, and often politicians get confused too – it’s not the pipeline that will create good relations for you, it’s good relations that will allow the pipeline to be built. First you must have trust, first you must have good political relations, and then come the projects. Because no one will spend billions when they’re not certain.”
“Bergman’s visit to Revithousa was not accidental”
According to the professor, Mr. Bergman’s presence at Revithousa “upgrades Greece’s geopolitical role due to our cooperation in the energy sector. America’s Energy Secretary comes and visits only two countries. Italy and Greece. And quite coincidentally, just hours before he arrives, Chevron expresses interest in exploration south of Crete. This is not coincidental and is significant because Chevron essentially cancels the geographically ridiculous Turkish-Libyan memorandum. Because it’s not the company, it’s America that’s not easy to pressure. So our geopolitical role is upgraded due to this cooperation in the energy sector,” he argues.
As Mr. Tsiambiris maintains, Revithousa’s strategic role may be highlighted by yesterday’s visit from the American official, but it’s something that doesn’t start now. As he notes, “we are now reaping the fruits of years-long efforts.” From this perspective, it’s good to see the Revithousa project not as something done in isolation, as it’s a project supported by all the country’s parties over time. We could say it’s part of a strategy, a national strategy.
