Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Alexandra Sdoukou participated in a series of extensive talks with key players in the energy sector on aspects of international energy policy, in the framework of the 5th Greece-USA Strategic Dialogue in Washington DC.
During her contacts, the deputy minister presented Greece’s plans to emerge as the strategic energy hub for the EU for natural gas and electricity from the wider Middle East region.
During her speech at the Strategic Dialogue, Ms. Sdoukou stressed, among other things, that “we aspire to become a regional energy hub for Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. Our three main priorities are increasing the penetration of renewables and promoting decarbonization.”
In her meeting with the American Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to Athens, Geoffrey Pyatt, on February 7, as well as during the session of the Strategic Dialogue, the Greek Deputy Minister elaborated on the progress of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel electricity interconnection, “The Great Sea Interconnector”, emphasizing the significance of the decision of the Republic of Cyprus to participate in the share capital of the “Great Sea Interconnector (GSI),” investing €100 million from the Cypriot RRF.
Sdoukou also met with senior officials of the U.S. state investment fund, held on the sidelines of the Strategic Dialogue at the U.S. Department of State, emphasizing the interest of the DFC (U.S. International Development Finance Corporation) to consider participating in the shareholding scheme of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel electricity interconnection in the coming months and outlined the reasons why such American investment would be beneficial for all parties involved.
In another bilateral meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy Joshua Voltz, Sdoukou also discussed developments related to the EMGF (East Mediterranean Gas Forum) and the initiatives of the Greek Presidency for the organization that began in January of the current year. During this discussion, the Deputy Minister also emphasized the need to advance the process for the establishment and funding of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center, which is expected to be jointly formed with the U.S., Israel, and Cyprus based on the U.S. East Med Act of 2020.
