The importance of political stability and government effectiveness was highlighted by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, speaking on Sunday to ANT1 TV, in light of the new crisis in the Middle East. Focusing on Greece, Papastavrou stated that no one knows how this crisis will unfold; however, "Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government has demonstrated its ability to manage crises in a way that preserves social cohesion," referencing the successful handling of situations such as the hybrid crisis in Evros and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Papastavrou noted that energy self-sufficiency and autonomy are critical for every country, and especially for Greece, pointing out that 20% of the world’s oil is transported through the Strait of Hormuz. "This new crisis highlights how important it is for each country to have a diversified energy mix and not rely solely on oil or natural gas. This is exactly the strategy that our country consistently follows," the minister underlined, while also underscoring the importance of fiscal stability in such times, allowing a country with a surplus to respond to emergencies.
He also pointed out that "this new crisis provides an additional incentive for Greece to gradually develop its own hydrocarbon sector, in Crete and other regions, so that in the future it relies solely on its own resources." Regarding the international tender for hydrocarbon exploration in the areas South of Crete I and II and South of the Peloponnese, he emphasized that it is proceeding according to schedule, as it was published last Thursday in the European journal, will conclude on September 10, and a contractor will be selected within 2025. He stressed that the country’s energy autonomy and self-sufficiency does not belong to a single political party but constitutes a "national policy," and that the effort to achieve it is a relay race.