The strategic importance of Greece and Israel's cooperation and the promotion of regional energy stability were discussed at a meeting between newly appointed Environment & Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, Deputy Minister responsible for energy Nikos Tsafos, and Israel's Minister of Regional Cooperation David Amsalem on Tuesday.

Minister Amsalem was accompanied by Israel's Ambassador to Greece Noam Katz and by an extended delegation of representatives from Israeli energy and infrastructure companies.

"Greece's cooperation with Israel is strategic and multilevel," Papastavrou said. "Our two countries share joint goals for development and stability. Energy plays a decisive role at both these levels," he added, referring to an intergovernmental agreement signed by his predecessor Thodoros Skylakakis in December 2024 that includes the opportunity for innovative energy projects. The meeting related to this agreement, Papastavrou noted, revealing that the delegation included "giant companies in the energy sector, from ports and infrastructure, and I am certain that our following meetings will lead to specific cooperation projects between Greek and Israeli companies."

Minister Amsalem noted that he arrived in Greece "with the most powerful development companies of our country in the sectors of security, energy, and infrastructure." He added that it was of strategic interest of all countries to create "an interconnecting corridor among Israel, Cyprus, Greece and toward Europe." Despite a state of great instability in the Middle East, Amsalem said, Israel will serve as a stabilizing force in the region, particularly after changes in the area and the assumption of Donald Trump's presidency. "We consider very important the need to cooperate with good friends, Greece and Cyprus, to promote projects in the sector of energy," including the use of fiber optics, which was discussed during a previous meeting.

Companies represented in the meeting were the Israeli Electricity Company (IEC), Israeli Natural Gas Lines (INGL), and Energy Infrastructures και Europe Asia Pipeline Co (EAPC).

(Photo courtesy of Environment & Energy Ministry)