Turkish and Greek energy ministers pledged Thursday to strengthen bilateral cooperation during the first Greek-Turkish Energy Forum in Istanbul.
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said that Türkiye is committed to increasing partnerships while welcoming intergovernmental cooperation as well as private sector collaboration.
“We are hopeful that this will be the beginning of a new era of opportunities between Türkiye and our neighbor Greece in the field of energy,” Bayraktar said in a video message.
He highlighted the important role that Türkiye plays in Europe’s energy security, part of which is maintaining national and international cooperation.
“The most recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between TEIAS (Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation) and IPTO (Independent Power Transmission Operator) is an example of the kind of activity we hope to increase,” he said.
The MoU between Greece and Türkiye signed in December last year in Athens, for a power line connecting both countries’ power grids is scheduled for completion in 2029.
“We must continue to support the region and decarbonization efforts for the eventual electrification and digitalization of our energy systems,” he added.
For his part, Greek Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis touted the importance of regional cooperation at the national, European-wide and international levels.
He also welcomed the recent MoU between IPTO and TEIAS and said it would strengthen the provision of safe and sustainable electricity for its national infrastructure and increase the capacity for electricity and energy trade between Greece and Türkiye.
'Energy efficiency and savings offer a new avenue for collaboration that can support the broader objectives of secure energy supply and a competitive low-carbon economy,' he added.
Over the last two decades, Greece and Türkiye have established major electricity and gas interconnections across the Greek-Turkish border and have developed active cross-border transmission and trading in electricity and gas.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a landmark visit to Greece on Dec. 7, 2023, following a turbulent period in relations in previous years. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on April 18 that he would visit the Turkish capital, Ankara, on May 13 to meet the Turkish president.
By Firdevs Yuksel and Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr