The next meeting of the 3+1 (Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the US) energy ministers will take place in April in Washington, D.C., Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou announced during a discussion at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

The visit to Washington highlighted a number of critical issues for Greece: the upgrading of regional energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the progress of major interconnection projects, the new India-Middle East-Europe strategic corridor, and the geopolitical implications of artificial intelligence for Europe’s economic and energy needs. Papastavrou underlined Athens’ goal of becoming a reliable energy and technology hub for a Europe entering an era of increased demand for energy, infrastructure, and raw materials.

New framework for cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean

The minister stressed that the 3+1 forms the basis of a new regional architecture with countries that “respect the rules of the game and avoid confrontation.” The April meeting is expected to focus on further developing infrastructure projects and facilitating the transmission of gas and electricity to Europe.

East Med and vertical corridor

Referring to the East Med pipeline, Papastavrou acknowledged that it did not gain the necessary financial momentum and that the previous US administration had been unsupportive. However, he stressed that “the essence of the project is being implemented through the vertical corridor,” which boosts the flow of US LNG to Europe and forms part of the strategy to reduce dependence on Russian gas.

Greece-Cyprus-Israel Great Sea Interconnector

He placed particular emphasis on the Great Sea Interconnector project, which connects Israel, Cyprus, and Greece and “ends Cyprus’ energy isolation.” The European Union has approved the largest funding ever for an electrical interconnection project. At the same time, he noted that Athens is seeking investment from Middle Eastern countries to broaden the group of stakeholders.

Greece’s role in the IMEC corridor

Papastavrou underlined the importance of the emerging corridor between India, the Middle East, and Europe, noting that India is looking for an entry point to European markets and that Greece is seeking to position itself in this role. He said that competition for raw materials makes the corridor strategically important, especially as China has concentrated much of the critical materials.

Message to Turkey

The minister said Turkey cannot assume that aggression leads to influence. In this context, he referred to the casus belli and Ankara’s provocations, noting that the only path to stability is through respect for international norms.

Artificial intelligence and energy security

Papastavrou stressed that artificial intelligence constitutes the new global arms race and that whichever power dominates it will have decisive influence on global developments. The operation of giant computer systems, data centers, and AI models requires enormous amounts of electricity.

Greece and Europe, he said, must ensure “abundant, economically sustainable energy” to remain competitive. In this context, the Greece-Egypt electricity interconnection is of strategic value, offering a new source of green energy that can meet the future needs of the technological transition.

American policy and isolation of Russia

The minister pointed out that US energy policy has changed radically in a year and that, although significant differences remain, Europe has registered greater convergence with the Trump administration on energy issues. He stressed that Russia may later rejoin the international system, but not the European energy architecture, as it has demonstrated the ability to instrumentalize its energy role.

Libya and energy rules

Asked about the recognition by the government of Eastern Libya of the illegal “Turkish-Libyan Memorandum,” Papastavrou noted that the neighboring country had, in practice, recognized the principle of the median line in accordance with international rules. In this light, he assessed that anyone wishing to operate in the international oil industry “has to play by the rules.”

As he explained, any attempt by Libya to contest areas of interest for Chevron would result in the energy giants “turning elsewhere,” as, he said, for these companies “adherence to the principle of the median line is non-negotiable.”

The minister concluded by saying that “investing billions requires predictability and legal frameworks for doing business.”