In the very important role that Alexandroupolisas regional vigorous player, as well as a gateway to security and cooperation in the wider region, said the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Geoffrey Pyattresponsible for energy issues, speaking today online at the 1st Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Forum, organized by the Olympia Forum in cooperation with the Municipality of Alexandroupolis, Energizing Greece and Hellas Journal.

He expressed satisfaction with the important role played by energy issues and Greece’s role as an energy hub during US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s recent visit to Athens. Regarding the picture presented by Greece’s ever-changing role in the energy sector, he added that there is nothing more “transformative” than what is happening in Alexandroupoli today.

Pyatt mentioned the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and the existing consensus on how critical it is for the project to be completed on time and that a significant pipeline and interconnection infrastructure was already in place, just as Vladimir Putin began using Russian energy resources as a weapon.

This, he added, ensured resilience in the EU and allowed Europe to successfully “survive” the winter, while demonstrating to the Kremlin that its attempt to use energy as a weapon to split the transatlantic community and reduce solidarity was not successful for Ukrainians.

American LNG

Another important measure of Europe’s ability to diversify its energy sources has been US liquefied natural gas (LNG), which US producers have been able to “mobilize” in response to the needs created by the crisis in Ukraine. Based on statistics, he said, the US shipped more than 70 billion cubic meters of LNG to Europe, more than double the previous year, and much of that cargo went through Greece. In fact, US LNG export potential is estimated to increase by about 50% by 2025 based on licensed and projects under development.

“Along with Qatar, the US will remain one of the top two LNG exporters in the coming years, and of course this is also linked to the Alexandroupoli FSRU, which is another important sustainability parameter that Greece is building for Southeast Europe,” Mr Payat said. , adding that this project concerns not only Greece, but the entire region and reflects both the regional leadership of our country and its commitment to cooperation.

And it’s all connected, he added, to another pillar of Alexandroupolis’ role as an energy hub, the Greco-Bulgarian Interconnection Pipeline (IGB), which was a “lifeline” for the Bulgarians when the Russian side turned off the supply switches. gas into the country in May last year.

Mr. Pyatt also made special mention of the connecting pipeline to North Macedonia, noting that it is another project that the United States actively supports. Regarding the green transition, Mr Payat said optimal energy security is one that does not depend on a single fossil fuel supplier, excluding the Mitsotakis government’s policy of promoting green fuels in Greece and pointedly mentioning solar power. , biomass, hydrogen and other RES. Renewable energy sources are a critical parameter of Europe’s long-term energy security, he said, and one of the ironies of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is that it accelerated the EU’s transition to green energy.

Asked by journalist Alexia Tasioulis, who moderated the discussion, if there is any estimate of when the war in Ukraine will end, Mr Pyatt said he would like to know the answer, but the only person who can answer that question is a Russian the president. “This war is the result of one man’s obsession with a neighboring country, his brutal invasion of an independent European country,” he said and expressed great pride in the role of the Transatlantic Alliance in supporting Ukraine.

“Putin’s dream in Ukraine will come to an end”

He assured that the United States is ready to support the Ukrainians for as long as necessary, and expressed confidence that this war will end in a major strategic failure for Putin and his dream of hegemony in the region will come to an end. He added that Greece has shown really good leadership and diplomatic courage, and stressed the importance of the Mediterranean electricity grid and the desire to ensure that gas supplies from the eastern Mediterranean reach the markets as quickly as possible.

The conference is held under the auspices of the Olympic Forum, the largest regional development conference in Greece, and is the first attempt to export the principles and philosophy of the Olympic Forum to a specific Greek region.