Economou: Greece has set as its target to quickly gain energy independence

“The government has drawn up and is executing a detailed and comprehensive plan, through which it manages to actively guarantee [Greece’s] sovereign rights and open up new geostrategic and economic potential for [the country],” government spokesperson Yiannis Economou stated on Thursday in his briefing to the press.

“Greece has set as its target to quickly gain energy independence, something that will allow us to move in the future in a different way on every level. The government is realising a vision of decades and striving to provide answers to the huge international crises and challenges through works and not with incoherent arguments.

“In this context, seismic surveys began today to search for hydrocarbons in the two plots southwest of the Peloponnese and Crete by ExxonMobil.

“The start of these surveys is another significant landmark of the government’s policy for the exploitation of any natural gas sources in Greece, in the effort for an energy transition to a more sustainable energy blend and for the strengthening of energy security for Greece and Europe,” Economou said.

He also clarified that the surveys will be carried out according to the strictest international protocols for the protection of the environment.

Economou said that in terms of the energy cost for households, Greece was among the countries with the cheapest rates in Europe in October.

He said that the government is monitoring the citizens’ needs and demands, noting that it will not stop taking advantage of every available tool in the struggle against high prices.

Finally, he referred to an important development that certifies that Greece is changing. Specifically, he said that the General Reforms Directorate of the European Commission has granted Greece the honour of placing it at the head of a small pilot task force aiming at incorporating scientific knowledge and evidence in applied policy. He explained that the selection was not random but was due to the fact that the Greek government has invested much in a new model of operational governance since 2019.

SOURCE; ANA-MPA