The signing ceremony of the Greek State’s lease with the joint venture Exxon Mobil – Total – Hellenic Petroleum. ANA-MPA, Orestis Panagiotou
Today is a historic day because Greece is making a big and decisive step to capitalise on its energy wealth, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in his greeting at the signing ceremony of the Greek State’s lease with the joint venture Exxon Mobil – Total – Hellenic Petroleum, which grants the right to carry out exploratory drilling and extract hydrocarbons in the sea west and southwest of Crete.
“Today, Greece is not only a country that is a critical energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans but is also starting to implement a plan that ultimately aims to turn it into an energy-producing country,” he said and added: “This is the culmination of many years of efforts and planning.”
“Just four years ago the country was on the brink of bankruptcy and now it is a self-sufficient country,” he added.
“The investment signed today for the exploration and exploitation of potential hydrocarbon deposits is a vote of confidence in the potential of Greece and the Greek economy,” the prime minister said, and pointed out that the great interest today has to do with the geopolitical significance of the contract being signed, which he described as “a nationally important investment that begins a great cycle for hydrocarbon exploration and extraction.
He also observed that “we always proceed by ensuring that international law is respected, and that our efforts are supported by the companies that have the best technology, as well as excellent knowledge and the know-how and logistical infrastructure to achieve the best possible result.”
Source: ANA-MPA
National Council on Foreign Policy about Greek-Turkish relations and developments in Cyprus’ EEZ