Pyatt: Greece can play a key role on regional energy security
Greece can play very important role for the energy security of the Southeast Mediterranean, according to Geoffrey Pyatt, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy and former US Ambassador to Greece.
In the context of the 13th Athens Energy Summit, which takes place on Thursday and Friday at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, Pyatt qualified Greece as a positive example in the international effort toward the green transition, saying that it is a connective tissue in the wider region.
“Greece has the ability to lead the energy transition, to become one of the dominant forces in the development of offshore wind farms,” underlined Pyatt. He mentioned that there is the prospect of new energy connections of Europe with Egypt and the Middle East through Greece, while the vertical corridor initiative will pave the way for a clean hydrogen system in Southeast Europe.
Chatting online with Michalis Mathioulakis, Academic Director of the Greek Energy Forum, Pyatt emphasized that the energy transition is irreversible, isolated from political developments on both sides of the Atlantic. “The whole planet is screamingthat we have to take measures,” he said characteristically.
He argued that the supply of many raw materials needed to be increased in order to reduce dependence on China. In this direction, there are also Greek companies that invest in the US and can acquire an important role.
Asked about the cooperation of the US with Europe, Pyatt pointed out that the interests are common, many issues are maturing and Europe realizes that its economy and its destiny are linked to those of the US.
“We are major trading partners, our views are fundamentally consistent, and the goal is to expand our cooperation and competition with China,” said the Assistant secretary for Energy of the US Department of State.
He added that alignment is needed in the energy transition, with technologies that will advance in such a way that there are corresponding benefits around the world.
