Greece seals agreement with US, Cyprus and Israel as Chevron and ExxonMobil deals advance

The East Med Energy Center, established in partnership with Rice University, formalizes the Greece-Cyprus-Israel-U.S. "3+1" energy framework into an institutional hub.

Mr. Papastavrou, who signed alongside U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Cypriot Energy Minister Michalis Damianos and senior Israeli officials, said the center cements Greece's role as a primary energy corridor securing alternative gas supplies for southeastern Europe.

At Chevron's Houston exploration headquarters, Mr. Papastavrou met Vice President for Exploration Kevin McLachlan to advance the U.S. major's formal request to acquire a 70% operating stake in Block 10 in the southern Ionian Sea.

Chevron executives have been invited to Athens next week to finalize the concession.

The talks also covered seismic survey timelines across four active concessions south of Crete and the Peloponnese.

In a separate meeting, Mr. Papastavrou held talks with ExxonMobil's head of European and North African exploration Neil Hartley on technical preparations for an exploratory test well in the northwest Ionian Sea, scheduled for February 2027 — Greece's first deepwater drilling operation in four decades.

The Houston meetings mark a significant acceleration in Greece's efforts to establish itself as a pillar of European energy security.