Greece is utilizing its geographical location, the infrastructure, and the window that openened when the USA and the European Union decided to stop being dependent on Russian natural gas, Environment & Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou told the ‘Greece Talks’ conference on Friday.

“The vertical corridor of development and stability for our country must comprised a new plan of development and stability in the wider region, which contains a population of 100 million,” he added. “This region is a vital space for Greece. Today it is natural gas, soon it will be roads and railroad connections. In the ’90s and 2000 there was great penetration mainly in the banking sector and telecommunications,” Papastavrou said.

The energy minister also referred to the agreements with ExxonMobil and Chevron for hydrocarbon exploration, the interconnection with Cyprus’ power grid, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), an effort by Europe and the US to bring India closer to Europe.