Τζ. Payat: Greece ahead of major European countries in terms of energy independence from Russia

The “steps” that Greece has taken for the detachment from the Russian gas with a series of projects that have either been completed or are nearing completion, which have brought it further in the “race” for the detachment from the Russian gas in comparison with several other European countries, underlined the US Ambassador to Greece Jeffrey Payat, in a meeting with journalists in Thessaloniki.

“I wish other European governments looked as far ahead as Greece in the steps it has taken over a decade now to differentiate itself from Russian gas,” said Jeffrey Payat, who has been doing this since morning. his last visit to Thessaloniki, as US Ambassador to Greece, as he completes in less than a month his term as the longest-serving American ambassador to our country.

“Greece has the TAP pipeline, it has Revythousa, it has the IGB near completion, as well as the FSRU of Alexandroupolis. Greece is in a much better position than some very large European countries that did not take the timely decision taken by the Greek government. “to end dependence and vulnerability on Russia,” said Payat.

“The LNG market is global. The gas will go where the market sends it. In this respect, our interest in Greece is not primarily commercial”, he noted and explained: “Our energy interest is to support the absolutely right The agenda of the (Greek) Prime Minister for the energy transition, in which gas plays a crucial role in helping to make the leap from the “dirty” and climate-harmful electricity system, based on carbon, to a system of renewable energy sources. “In this, too, gas plays a role as a ‘bridge.’ We are also interested in doing what we can to support Europe ‘s interest in getting rid of its dependence on Russian gas.”

Noting that “there are large sections of the European economy where the industrial model is organized around gas imports from Russia”, the US ambassador stressed that many countries, such as Bulgaria and the Western Balkans, now have a much clearer understanding of on February 24 (date of the start of the war in Ukraine), that they do not want to have Russia as their monopoly supplier.

Asked if there was any interest from US companies in the new projects being launched for the new LNG floating storage and gasification stations (FSRU) – for which there is growing interest after the developments in Ukraine – Mr. Payat answered that there is a relevant communication -without more details-, reminding that “the USA is the leading exporter of LNG in the world and American companies have a long tradition of cooperating with similar companies here in Greece”.

Mr. Payat, who has visited Alexandroupolis more times than any other American ambassador during his tenure, referred once again to the strategic role of the city and the region, especially in the development of the North Corridor. “Especially in an environment where we are dealing with a revisionist Russia,” he said.

Asked about Kavala and the ongoing privatization processes of its port, with the American company BLACK SUMMIT being among the bidders, the American ambassador noted: “If I can express a little disappointment is that these processes with the HRDH “They take time and I think there is a risk – as always with these privatizations – that investors’ interest will be lost if they last too long. Therefore, it is important that they be completed.”

Mr. Payat described as “very important” the energy projects that are in progress, especially in Northern Greece as, as he said, “they are important not only for Greece but for the whole region”, while he also made special mention of the very important expansion of American investments in the region, which make Greece a “gateway” for investments in a market of 30 million people, etc.

“The war will end with the defeat of Putin”

Regarding the developments in Ukraine, the American ambassador -among other things- made special reference to the crimes that have taken place in Mariupol “from the actions of a man who commits war crimes pursuing an imperialist vision that is outside the 18th or 19th century, no here we are today “.

“I have no idea when all this will end. But I know that it will end in the defeat of Vladimir Putin, I know that Russia will be much weaker because of the choices made by Putin and that Ukraine will be more united and more committed to its European course “, underlined Mr. Payat.

Concluding the discussion and answering a question in a more personal tone about what he will miss from Greece, he reiterated his love for the light of our country, the many and beautiful corners of the Greek land, but also its very good food Thessaloniki.

Source: AMPE