U.S. Signals Stronger Energy Partnership with Greece in Washington Meeting

United States Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum met with Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou in Washington on Wednesday, highlighting Greece’s growing role in Europe’s evolving energy landscape and signaling a deepening U.S.-Greece energy partnership.

“There is no diplomacy today without energy diplomacy,” Burgum told Papastavrou at the start of their discussion. “The energy diplomacy led by you, the Prime Minister, and the Ambassador is an example of leadership for all of Europe.”

The meeting followed the P-TEC energy conference in Athens, where the United States sent its largest delegation to date. Several agreements reached during P-TEC pointed to a more structured phase of cooperation between the two countries, and Burgum’s Washington meeting aimed to translate those announcements into a clear framework for next steps.

As chair of the Energy Sovereignty Council, Burgum highlighted his recent visits to Greece, including the Revithoussa LNG terminal, noting that these assessments reinforced Washington’s view of Greece as a strategic hub for new infrastructure and supply corridors. The council’s executive director, Jarrod Agen, also attended the meeting.

Papastavrou described P-TEC as a turning point, delivering tangible results rather than broad statements. “We have started very strongly, but we still have a long way to go to reach our goals,” he said.

Among the key developments he highlighted were:

• A deal between ExxonMobil and HelleniQ Energy, paving the way for Greece’s first major hydrocarbon exploration in roughly 40 years.
• Progress on the vertical corridor initiative, involving seven countries, to transport American LNG north through Greece and Bulgaria, reducing reliance on Russian gas.
• Partnerships including Venture Global, AKTOR, and DEPA, expanding the presence of U.S. energy companies in the Eastern Mediterranean.
• The first high-level energy minister meeting of the 3+1 group—Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the United States—signaling deeper strategic alignment.

Papastavrou thanked Burgum for his engagement, noting that the secretary’s September visit to Greece had raised the visibility of the country’s energy infrastructure within the U.S. administration. However, he cautioned that these initiatives remain in early stages, emphasizing that transforming agreements into long-term projects will require sustained coordination in the months ahead.