Greece, US hold talks on energy cooperation amid Crete tender bid
ATHENS
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergam, who also serves as head of the U.S. Energy Dominance Council, reaffirming the strong strategic partnership between Athens and Washington.
The meeting in Athens came a day after U.S. oil major Chevron submitted a bid to explore for natural gas in four offshore blocks near Crete, in partnership with Greece’s Helleniq Energy.
During the talks, Mitsotakis highlighted Greece’s growing role as an energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeastern Europe.
“We are now a gas-exporting country, a transit hub and a provider of energy security for the wider region,” he said, emphasizing Greece’s ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Great Sea Interconnector.
The prime minister also underscored the strategic importance of Greece’s electricity and digital networks and the role of Greek shipping in LNG transport.
Bergam conveyed Washington’s view of Greece as a “strategic partner,” noting the potential to expand bilateral energy cooperation.
“The Trump administration aims to promote energy security by ensuring that our allies and friends do not need to purchase energy from adversaries,” he said.
He highlighted opportunities for Greek companies to participate in energy security initiatives across eastern and southeastern Europe, particularly through Greece’s maritime and pipeline networks.
The meeting came amid ongoing disputes over maritime boundaries, with Ankara rejecting what it views as Greece’s unfounded claims in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Mitsotakis described the timing as “an interesting moment to reaffirm our strategic partnership, particularly in energy,” underlining the shared goal of diversifying energy sources and enhancing regional stability.
With Chevron’s bid marking a major step toward deep-sea exploration south of Crete, both leaders emphasized that energy cooperation between Athens and Washington would continue to grow.
Türkiye opposes Greece’s energy exploration projects south of Crete, arguing that they disregard Ankara’s maritime jurisdiction rights.
