Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will speak at noon at the ceremony for the inauguration of the implementation of the project of the terminal of the Independent Natural Gas System (ASFA) of Alexandroupolis. The project includes the construction of a floating station for the receipt, storage and regasification of Liquefied Natural Gas LNG (FSRU), at a distance of 17.6 km southwest of Alexandroupolis and 10 km from the nearest coast, and will be able to deliver up to 5.5 billion meters of natural gas per year.

The new terminal, scheduled to open in December 2023, achieves the following:
- The energy efficiency and energy security of the country is strengthened.

- Alternative ways of natural gas supply are being developed.

- The country's dependence on Russian natural gas is reduced.

- Greece acquires a strategic role and becomes an energy hub.

- Energy corridors are created that do not pass through Turkish territory.

- Regional cooperation tools are being created in the Balkans based on the countries' cooperation in the field of energy.

Greece is an energy hub

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke about the importance of the new Alexandroupolis terminal at a meeting of the Council of Ministers: "I will be in Alexandroupolis, at the new storage and gasification station of Liquefied Natural Gas. A very important infrastructure project, which, in combination with other initiatives, in less than 20 months will have enabled us to fully diversify our gas supply sources, not only for our country, but also for the entire Balkan Peninsula. Greece, therefore, is quickly and very methodically transformed into an energy hub of the region, but, at the same time, a strategic gateway for the entry of energy resources to Southeastern Europe as a whole."

European interest

Indicative of the importance of the project is the presence at today's ceremony in the port of Alexandroupolis, of the President of the European Council Charles Michel, the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov, of Northern Macedonia Dimitar Kovachevski and the President of Serbia Serbas. The Kopelouzos group, Gaslog Cyprus Investments Ltd, DEPA Emporias SA, Boulfartrabsgaz EAD and DESFA SA participate in the construction company Gastrade. The Prime Minister has already announced in Parliament that a second floating station for storage and re-gasification of Liquefied Natural Gas, with the same capacity, will be built in the Thracian Sea.

Today's ceremony will take place at 12.30 in the Customs Warehouse. The President of the European Council Charles Michel, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vuτςi,, the Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia Dimitar Kovachevski, the Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Christos Metios, the Mayor of Alexandroupolis Ioannis Zampoukis and the Vice President and CEO of Gastrade Kostis Sifnaios.

- The program

At 09:30 the Prime Minister will visit the construction site for the construction of the eastern ring road of Alexandroupolis and the connections with the port of the city and the Egnatia Highway.

At 10:00 Kyriakos Mitsotakis will attend and speak at the inauguration of the Alexandroupolis Waste Treatment Unit.

At 11:00 the Prime Minister will attend the inauguration of the new Nursing Home of the Holy Metropolis of Alexandroupolis.

At 12:30 the Prime Minister will attend and speak at the event for the official start of the implementation of the floating storage and gasification terminal LNG (FSRU) off Alexandroupolis.

At 14:00 the Prime Minister will host a dinner for the foreign leaders who will attend the event for the FSRU station.

The outgoing US Ambassador, Geoffrey Pyatt, spoke about the Greek-Turkish crisis of 2020 and revealed unknown aspects. According to him, Greece and Turkey reached the brink of conflict at that time and it was necessary, as he says, to "take action intensively to help to prevent things from getting out of control."

"What was happening was more dramatic than the image projected by the media," he said in an interview with Kathimerini.

According to Pyatt, "you heard US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo say we thought this was a very serious crisis and we worked hard to help keep things under control. Conditions are much better today, despite the continuing unacceptable activities, the overflights, the rhetorical exaggerations, the silly statements questioning the sovereignty of the islands, which from the American side is indisputable."

On Article 5

"The strategic landscape around the Aegean, the Black Sea, Asia Minor has changed dramatically since February 24, and I think the developments in Ukraine make it more important for the US to do what it can to ensure that Turkey will behave as a good NATO ally towards all its neighbors. "This is not the time for distractions, whether created by politics, rhetoric or military maneuvers."

Regarding security guarantees, the outgoing US Ambassador to Athens points out that "there is Article 5. You have heard from President Biden a very clear commitment to it and the willingness to provide American forces, equipment and funds to strengthen and to defend this guarantee ".

Asked if it could be implemented "even if the threat comes from within the Alliance", Mr Pyatt said: "Article 5 is the cornerstone of everything we do in terms of our security relationship with the Greece and NATO ".

Biden - Mitsotakis meeting

Ahead of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's visit to Washington and meeting with Joe Biden, Mr Pyatt said he was aware of the importance for Greece of the invitation for the US President himself and to the US Government as a whole. 

He added that they would discuss, among other things, the ongoing efforts with allies and partners to support the Ukrainian people and impose financial sanctions on Russia for its unprovoked invasion, energy security and cooperation with Greece on natural gas.

Never before in US history has a Prime Minister of Greece addressed a Joint Meeting of the US Congress. Such an historic address will take place by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on May 17. In addition, Mitsotakis will join only 8 other world leaders who have addressed a Joint Meeting of Congress since 2015.  They include: Pope Francis, the Prime Ministers of India, Japan and Israel, and the Presidents of Afghanistan, France and Ukraine and the NATO Secretary General.