Pyatt hails Greece’s energy partnership with US
The US assistant secretary of state for energy resources and former ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt, has stressed that the United States is looking forward to the “continuation of the strong partnership with Greece” in energy cooperation.
Addressing the 7th SEF Energy Forum in Thessaloniki, Pyatt emphasized the importance of the Alexandroupoli floating gas and regasification unit (FSRU), as well as Greece’s role in accelerating the Western Balkans’ energy transition.
Pyatt highlighted the importance of completing projects such as the Greece-North Macedonia pipeline and continuing cooperation with Kosovo and Serbia for the development of cleaner and more sustainable energy systems, which will help those countries escape Russian influence. What’s more, he reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the 3+1 Initiative of Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the United States, as well as the vital cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Observing that developments in the Middle East have not seriously disrupted regional energy markets, Pyatt stated that Europe is much better prepared this winter for the repercussions from the Ukraine war, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inability to weaponize energy last winter was also attributable in part to the work done by US natural gas and LNG producers.
“About 70% of our production last year went to Europe. But an equally important role was played by countries such as Greece, which have invested in additional regasification capacity,” he said, while noting the decisive role to this end of the expansion of the Revithoussa terminal.
Concerning energy security as it pertains to the developments in Ukraine, Pyatt emphasized Greece’s leadership role in minimizing the consequences, with vital infrastructure and the role of the Southern Corridor.
