Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Volodymyr Zelensky made statements following the signing of a major energy agreement that establishes Greece as a supply hub for Central and Eastern Europe with American LNG. During his remarks, the Greek Prime Minister emphasized the critical importance of this agreement, expressing his disgust at the intensification of Russian attacks on non-military infrastructure with civilian casualties. “For Greece, the inviolability of borders is non-negotiable and any illegal fait accompli will always find us on the opposite side,” the Prime Minister noted. For his part, the Ukrainian President thanked Greece on behalf of the Ukrainian people for its support in Ukraine’s struggle for national integrity and independence, to make peace possible. He also characterized as “very important” the talks he had with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding gas supplies to Ukraine, noting that every night the Russians strike his country’s critical infrastructure.
Mitsotakis’ remarks after the Greece-Ukraine natural gas agreement
“We stand beside the Ukrainian people and as you know, Greece from the first moment found itself alongside Ukraine against the Russian invasion of its territory. It sided with the defender against a bloody operation that violates every notion of sovereignty and legitimacy and participated practically in supporting your people together with the entire Western world. This is a principled stance that stems from our absolute respect for the United Nations Charter and international law, but is also consistent with our conviction that the use of armed force cannot be tolerated,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
“For Greece, the inviolability of borders is non-negotiable and any illegal fait accompli will always find us on the opposite side. I say this being aware of its significance for a nation as well as for our own, where the wound of Cyprus remains open, the invasion and illegal occupation 51 years later until today,” Mr. Mitsotakis underlined.
The Prime Minister stated that it is natural for us to be in favor of an unconditional ceasefire. “And of course we seek vindication of your struggle for a just peace, we continue to strengthen within our capabilities the brave resistance of the Ukrainian people, to support them in all Forums and especially in the Security Council of which Greece is today a non-permanent member, in the organs of the European Union and of course in the procedures of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,” Mr. Mitsotakis continued.
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Mitsotakis: Greece becomes an energy security provider for Ukraine
Addressing the President of Ukraine, the Prime Minister continued: “Rest assured Mr. President, dear Volodymyr, that in Athens you have a steadfast ally. We have proven this by implementing all European sanctions against Moscow, despite their considerable economic cost, while we supported Ukraine’s European path, a complex and demanding process in which we are ready to contribute.”
Mr. Mitsotakis also stated that the relations between the two countries now acquire a new critical dimension, that of the new secure energy artery being drawn from south to north, from Greece to Ukraine through the developing Vertical Energy Corridor and the Alexandroupoli-Odessa interconnection axis.
“Thus Ukraine gains immediate access to diversified and reliable energy sources while Greece now becomes a supply hub for Central and Eastern Europe with American liquefied natural gas. This is a decisive contribution to energy stability, resilience and security. This is a plan that now becomes feasible after very systematic work by the Greek government, thanks to Greece’s geographical position, infrastructure and strategic partnerships, mainly those concluded in Athens within the framework of the very important ministerial meeting on transatlantic energy cooperation just last week,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
He added that these agreements declare that our country is internationally recognized as a point of reference in the wider region while also referring to the letter of intent for the natural gas sales agreement signed by DEPA and Naftogaz to cover Ukraine’s immediate needs to face the challenges of a difficult winter. “This agreement comes as a continuation and implementation of last week’s agreements for securing and supplying American natural gas. We are essentially talking about the immediate activation of the Vertical Corridor connecting Greece with Ukraine, while I also want to mention the agreement signed by GEK TERNA with Ucranico Energy. This also signals the additional implementation of a pumped storage project that will stabilize Ukraine’s energy grid,” the Prime Minister added.
“Greece thus becomes an energy security provider for your homeland and undoubtedly all these are catalytic developments on the path to final independence from Russian natural gas. Because Europe will stop buying Russian natural gas which will no longer be able to enter our continent in disguise, with our country leading regional initiatives toward this goal, having Alexandroupoli as the spearhead, the ‘key’ point through which allied and humanitarian aid to Ukraine already passes,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized.
The Prime Minister said they also discussed ways to further support Ukraine, always in cooperation with our partners, as well as the further prospects of bilateral cooperation and our contribution to Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. “Greek companies that have the know-how and experience to contribute decisively to this titanic effort to rebuild your country so that the wounds of war heal as quickly as possible. We will be present both in the construction sector through public-private partnerships, and in the fields of digitization, health, protection of your cultural monuments. Let me repeat our special interest in Odessa. I have visited it twice, dear Volodymyr. It is a symbolic city with historical and cultural ties, it will simultaneously be a city of inspiration for Ukrainians, a bridge city between the Black Sea, Central Europe and the Mediterranean, but it is also a thread city that connects Greece with Ukraine. I would say it is a natural continuation of the history that connected our peoples through
