“The United States proudly supports Greece’s leadership role in redrawing the energy map of southeast Europe, diversifying energy sources with its Balkan neighbours and helping to break Russia’s gas monopoly,” the U.S. Ambassador Greece George J. Tsunis said in a tweet, after visiting the northern Greek city of Alexandroupolis with four fellow ambassadors from Balkan countries on Friday.
“The Alexandroupoli FSRU plays a key role in achieving regional energy and climate goals,” Tsunis added, after a visit to the FSRU on Friday morning with colleagues from Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. He noted that the city was becoming an energy hub that will provide energy security for Greece but also the entire region, as well as prosperity and stability.
“Great to visit Alexandroupoli port with fellow Ambassadors, underscoring its importance for US and Europe. Alexandroupoli is key to strengthening regional stability and prosperity, energy diversification and support for NATO,” the ambassador said.
In a statement to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, he highlighted the port’s significance as a hub for energy and commerce and as a logistics hub for the Alliance, noting that this was Greece taking the lead, as a partner providing stability and prosperity for the entire region.
He also described Alexandroupolis “as one of the many strategic advantages that Greece brings to the table” and praised the country’s reliability as a partner.
“Greece acts on the basis of values, it acts with sincerity. It is particularly efficient, capable and always on the right side of history. Greece is a western, reliable ally,” Tsunis noted.
The ambassador also emphasised his strong conviction that Greece’s collective security lies in a strong relationship with the United States, the European Union and NATO. He noted that if one looked at the region, and the regional challenges that exist, the US turns to its key NATO ally, Greece, to work together with respect and efficiency in order to ensure that both countries are “exporters of stability”.
“We have found a very sincere and capable partner in Greece to do this important work,” he added.
The Vice-President and CEO of Gastrade, Kostis Sifnaios, in statements to the ANA-MPA said that everything was progressing on schedule and repeated that the FSRU will be ready to begin operating on January 1, 2024.
During their visit, the five ambassadors also met local government officials, the head of the Alexandroupolis port authority and the city’s Metropolitan Anthimos.
