Stavros Papastavrou asserts Greek sovereignty and announces major infrastructure plans

Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou has emphasized Greece's commitment to exercising its sovereign rights, particularly regarding the electrical interconnection project between Greece and Cyprus. While expressing a desire for friendly relations, Papastavrou stated that Greece “will not ask permission to exercise its sovereign rights” and will not accept external dictates.

The Minister highlighted the entry of the French company Meridian into the Greece-Cyprus interconnection project as a vote of confidence in Greece's strategic energy role. He also noted policy shifts toward promoting self-consumption, allowing households and businesses to produce and store their own energy.

Addressing water security, Papastavrou announced a National Water Strategy involving projects in 170 municipalities with a total value exceeding 2 billion euros. He framed water management as a matter of national security and social cohesion, emphasizing the need for resilience against drought and the climate crisis. The Minister also discussed reforms to expand the roles of water utilities like EYDAP and EYATH to better serve local communities while maintaining the public nature of water resources.