“Greece has proven that it strongly defends its rights, and the agreement on the Ionian Sea constitutes a vote of confidence in our sovereign rights,” said, among other things, the Member of Parliament for Serres and Secretary for International Relations and the EU of New Democracy, Mr. Tasos Chatzivasileiou, speaking on SKAI on Friday morning.

Answering a related question, the former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs clarified that “there was no way American energy giants would operate in areas without a protective framework.” As he emphasized, “the fact that Greece will host even more critical infrastructure, not just for itself—we are talking about the wider region and essentially the energy-hungry European market—means that a stronger safety net is being extended around these infrastructures, and therefore around the country itself.”

Referring to the energy giants investing in the region, he noted: “American giants like ExxonMobil or Chevron do not get involved in areas with unclear status. They only go where things are clear. So this means that Greece has followed the provisions of International Law very correctly to secure its rights.”

In the same context, he added: “These major companies recognize that Greece has fair and solid positions. We are now becoming the most reliable partner and ally in the region. It is a significant matter that Greece is becoming an entry hub for LNG, which in the coming years will essentially replace Russian natural gas in the European market.”

Mr. Chatzivasileiou also referred to the domestic political debate of recent weeks: “Until a few weeks ago, there were political circles in Greece accusing the Mitsotakis government of supposedly being disconnected from the Trump administration, supposedly isolated from the United States, and so on. The energy forum at Zappeion proves that Greece is by no means marginalized. On the contrary.”