The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the Summit proposing the supply of natural gas jointly for the entire European Union, while assessing the issue of the price increases as the one that will dominate the debate.
At the same time, the Prime Minister indicated that he would inform his counterparts about the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean that “can, under certain conditions, be formed as an alternative energy source for the European Union”, through the transfer of either natural gas or “green” electricity from North Africa (Egypt), via Greece.
In particular, he stated:
In a rather rich agenda, I estimate that the topic that will dominate the debate is the rise in energy prices.
As you know, the Greek Government has already taken important measures to minimize increases in prices of both electricity and gas for Greek households.
And we will continue to intervene in the energy market in order to support the Greek households, but also small and medium enterprises, for as long as this energy crisis lasts.
But it is necessary to tackle the problem on a more structural level, with interventions that can be launched, in the first phase, by the European Commission.
By way of example, I mention the possibility of buying gas from the European Union, but also the possibility of being able to increase gas storage so that we have fewer short-term market distortions when we need more gas.
I will have the opportunity, in the context of the discussion, to inform my counterparts about the very important developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Eastern Mediterranean can, under certain conditions, be developed as an alternative energy source for the European Union.
Whether we are talking about natural gas – which can be transported in liquefied form from Egypt to Greece and from there to the European gas network – or we are talking about electricity that can be produced, again in North Africa at very advantageous , in ideal I would say, conditions and be transported via a cable, again, from Egypt to Europe via Greece.
The importance of the Eastern Mediterranean, then, lies precisely in this dimension, which is directly linked to the energy security of the European Union, and we will have the opportunity to discuss this at length this afternoon.
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