In the next 24 hours, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum will arrive in Greece in his capacity as head of the White House Energy Sovereignty Council. His visit is expected not only to carry symbolic weight but also substantial content.

Beyond the fact that he will be the first member of Donald Trump’s cabinet to officially visit our country, Burgum is regarded as the “energy czar” in the new Trump administration, with the goal of cementing U.S. dominance on the global energy map.

In this context, his meetings with Greek officials will begin before he even sets foot in Greece. Today, on Italian soil—specifically in Milan—the American secretary will meet with Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, who is traveling to northern Italy for this purpose. Burgum is then expected to continue on to Greece.

According to reports, the U.S. delegation will focus on two critical sectors: LNG and the shipbuilding industry.

Regarding LNG, the aim is to review current U.S. exports to Greece, the potential for expanding them, and their role in achieving the goals of the U.S.–EU trade agreement, worth $750 billion by 2028. It is also noteworthy that the American secretary’s visit coincides with tomorrow’s deadline for binding bids on offshore blocks south of Crete, concerning hydrocarbon exploration licenses—where the Greek government expects a bid from Chevron.

The second area of interest is shipbuilding. Washington is exploring ways of cooperating with Greece to leverage Greek expertise to strengthen the U.S. shipbuilding industry. In this context, Burgum is expected to visit the Elefsis Shipyards together with the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias.

Analysts in Washington, cited by Kathimerini, stress that this initiative serves as a counterweight to China’s growing influence in the shipping sector, with the U.S. prioritizing cooperation with allies like Greece, which has the world’s largest commercial fleet and a crucial geographic position in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Who is Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum (born August 1, 1956, in Arthur, North Dakota) is a businessman and politician, graduate of NDSU (1978) and Stanford MBA (1980).

He made his career in technology as CEO of Great Plains Software, which he sold to Microsoft in 2001. He also founded real estate and venture capital firms.

He served as Governor of North Dakota (2016–2024) and was appointed by Trump as Secretary of the Interior and the new “energy czar,” with influence over energy policy and public lands. He was confirmed and sworn in in early 2025, immediately launching initiatives for U.S. “energy sovereignty.”