Greece will soon be added to the hydrocarbon-producing countries, Stathakis says

Greece will soon be added to the fossil fuel-producing countries, Environment and Energy Minister George Stathakis said on Tuesday in a meeting with US Senator Bob Menendez, in the presence of the US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt.
The talks focused on the transformation of Greece into a key energy hub, in a region with an upgraded role. As the minister stressed, the Eastern Mediterranean is gaining new momentum after the recent discovery of natural gas deposits, and the Balkan market is undergoing a process of reforms process to become the southern-eastern gateway to the single European energy market.
In this context, there was a presentation of the Greek government’s initiatives, including:
– The diversification of the supply sources to the European gas market by building new infrastructure (TAP pipeline, LNG station in Revythoussa etc);
– The interconnection of the Balkan states through the construction of the IGB pipeline, which will immediately begin and will be part of the large vertical gas transit corridor to central Europe and the pipeline that is being planned to be built with North Macedonia to connect the networks natural gas of the two countries
– Transport of natural gas from the new production areas in the Eastern Mediterranean to the European market through the construction of the EastMed pipeline.
Menendez showed particular interest in the progress of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum. The steps that have been taken so far by the seven countries (Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority) and the possibilities for further deepening cooperation, by adopting common solutions to issues related to production, storage and transportation of natural gas.
Finally, the American Senator was briefed on the development of renewable energy production in Greece, as well as on the use of new technologies and techniques that allow small-scale producers to use electricity (farmers, hotels, hospitals, universities, etc.).