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Brief encounters of the first kind: Top U.S. and Greek diplomats meet
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias in Washington March 13, just hours before Tillerson planned to depart...
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Will Trump’s budget proposals eviscerate America’s smart power?
Since the Trump Administration’s first budget blueprint was circulated at the end of February, Washington has been abuzz with rumors about where massive budget...
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US backs Greece’s efforts to build EU energy connections
DELPHI, Greece - The United States strongly supports Greece’s efforts to build its energy connections with Europe, US Ambassador to Athens Geoffrey Pyatt told...
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Romania’s Cluj capitalises on Smart City energy
The largest city of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca, is trying to attract investors with the help of EU funds to become smarter, Emil Boc, the city’s...
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Pump up the volume: Where is Secretary of State Tillerson’s department anyway?
The relative silence from the State Department over the first month of the Trump Administration has led some to an eerie conclusion that Secretary...
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EU hesitation puts Arctic plans on ice
BRUSSELS – The European Union needs to play an active role in the Arctic instead of simply observing the developments in the region, European...
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Russian gas line through Ukraine EU peace pipe?
BRUSSELS - The Russian gas transit across Ukraine to Europe and business ties between Moscow and Kiev could ultimately help restore peace between Ukraine...
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Tillerson’s arrival at the State Department calms the waters, for now
The arrival of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department February 1 (he was sworn in the night before) seems to have...
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Ambassador Pyatt says US wants EU energy deal to block Russia
ATHENS – The United States will continue to work with the European Union to promote diversification of energy supplies and lessen dependence on Russia,...
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State Department senior officer turnover significant but not a politically-driven mass resignation
Quite a few screaming headlines were generated in the U.S. press when it was announced Under Secretary of State for Management (called “M” at...
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Total eyes EU hydrocarbon exports from Cyprus, Greece
Total is reportedly preparing to make an exploratory marine drilling off Cyprus. The French energy major is also in talks with the Greek government...
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Greek Ministers attend event linked to Trump inauguration hoping to project message of respectability
At first glance one reads that tile and thinks, “So what’s new, that’s all the Greek political class ever does when invited abroad, there’s...
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Russia’s Federation Council to rubberstamp Turkish Stream
A project spearheaded by Russian gas monopoly Gazprom to supply with gas the lucrative Turkish market and possibly Europe could be rubberstamped by Russia’s...
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Exxon keeps Russian Arctic assets frozen with an eye on Tillerson
Only a week to go until Donald Trump officially becomes US President, pundits are still trying to predict the policies of his administration, including...
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EU Clean Energy aims to reduce fossil fuels
STRASBOURG – The clean energy package that was discussed at the European Parliament in Strasbourg today will focus on renewables and modern technologies, European...
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Russia to construct first gas pipe to Turkey, mulls second line to EU
Russian gas monopoly Gazprom moved ahead with plans to build the Turkish Stream gas pipeline with the first line to Turkey to be constructed...
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Greece, Cyprus, Israel examine East Med gas exports to EU
ATHENS - On December 8, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will participate in a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Israel in Jerusalem to...
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EU needs small and medium-sized renewable energy projects
ATHENS - Despite pledges of US President-elect Donald Trump to ease regulations for oil and coal and abandon climate change obligations, Europe is forging...
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Arrest of Russia’s top economic official highlights power struggle
Russia’s Economic Development Minister Alexey Ulyukayev was detained earlier this week on suspicion of taking a $2 million bribe that allowed Russian oil giant...
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Professor Obama Salutes Greece, Democracy in Athens “Globalization” Speech
President (and today Professor of Government) Barack Obama concluded his Greece visit with an inspiring speech November 16 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural...
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Obama’s Greece Visit – Dancing around the Greek debt minefield
First and foremost it was a great relief to see U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew step off the plane and quietly slip into the...
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Obama’s Greece Visit – Desperately Seeking Symbolism
Surely by now everyone has taken a deep breath and accepted Donald Trump’s victory on November 8. Most analysts needed a number of...
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Anti-OPEC Trump wild card for oil prices
Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election means his administration is likely to focus on domestic oil projects, leading to a prolonged period...
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Trump victory downgrades Syriza investment in Obama visit to “junk” status
It seems Greece’s Syriza government invested too much energy and hope in the Clinton family enterprise and that investment quickly went through the floor...
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Desperation over debt relief underlies Greek hopes for Obama’s Greece stop
While the world has focused on the closing days of the U.S. election campaign, in Athens advance teams from the White House and other...
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Low gas prices clog pipeline projects, EastMed’s Leviathan
ATHENS – Low gas prices have a limited effect on the planning of major pipeline projects, including plans to export gas from the East...
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Israel-Turkish pipeline hinges on Cyprus issue solution
ATHENS – The rapprochement between Tel Aviv and Ankara will give fresh impetus to a pipeline from Israel to Turkey, experts told New Europe...
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Better Late than Never: Possible Obama Greece visit in November
Rumors surfaced October 18th in Washington that U.S. President Barack Obama may visit Athens around November 14-15. There has been no official announcement....
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Russian NPP strives to connect Central-East Europe’s energy markets
Russia said a nuclear power plant that is being prepared for the resumption of the active phase of construction in Kaliningrad could connect Central...
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EU discusses nuclear security issues, stress tests at Ostrovets NPP
A European Commission delegation visited the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets where they discussed security questions and stress tests of NPPs. The plant...
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For Greece’s PM Tsipras, Another Fruitless Run at the Debt Issue in New York
In serious trouble at home from a series of interconnected scandals and policy blunders, Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras turned to the annual UN...
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Russia, Saudi Arabia agree oil production freeze as Iran says will boost output
Iran plans to increase its own oil output to pre-sanctions levels in the next few months. National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Director for International...
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Cyprus-Egypt pipe deal opens door for East Med gas
Cyprus has signed a deal to build a pipeline to supply Egypt with natural gas once production starts from the Aphrodite field located offshore...
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Saudi Arabia in a proxy war with Iran, Russia
Given the level of mistrust among Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, it is unlikely that OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers, including Russia, will reach...
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Jack Lew does Athens and urges continued reform, but promises nothing on debt
As promised by President Obama in Warsaw earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew concluded his post-Brexit vote European consultations and visited Athens for...
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Ukraine Court rebuffs Gazprom fine appeal
The Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine on July 13 reportedly dismissed Gazprom’s appeal against a $3.4 billion fine. In January, Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee (AMCU)...
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Obama meets Tsipras in Warsaw, its NATO time, isn't it?
Another almost unnoticed (by Washington) Greece-U.S. bilateral meeting happened on the sidelines of the Warsaw NATO Summit July 9.
Although this meeting was barely on...
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Slovak Presidency to promote Energy Union, low carbon emissions
ATHENS – Slovakia, which kicked off its six-month presidency of the European Union on July 1, will push for the implementation of the EU...
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Energy hopes, US drive renewed Turkey, Israel relations
THESSALONIKI - The restoration of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Israel after a six-year break creates fresh impetus for regional alliances in the exploration,...
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Washington reiterates the UK and the EU will remain indispensable partners of the United States
The Obama White House released this brief statement early Friday: “The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision. The...
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Russia dreams no EU gas war, pipelines to Germany, Italy
LAGONISSI, Greece – Moscow hopes to overcome European Commission’s objections to Gazprom’s plans to construct Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany and to...
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Ukraine trumps Greece at Senate Hearing for U.S. Ambassador-Designate to Greece Pyatt
Greece-watchers were likely disappointed that Ukraine trumped Greece in the June 21 Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) confirmation hearings for several of the Obama...
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Trump to OPEC, Russia: Drop Dead or The Big Chillary
The outcome of the US general election this November could affect Washington’s energy policy and relations with Russia. Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s slogan...
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US company boosts East Med’s Israel-Cyprus-Greece-EU pipeline
ATHENS - Plans to build the East-Med pipeline, which could transport up to 16 billion cubic metres from the offshore gas reserves in the...
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Finland nuke plant plans forge ahead with Russian reactor
MOSCOW - Three weeks after visiting the site of the future Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant near the remote small municipality of Pyhäjoki in...
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In Athens, Putin puts the full court press on EU
ATHENS – Russian President Vladimir Putin landed with a one-and-a-half hour delay in Greece on Friday, May 27, for a two-day visit aimed to boost...
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Walking the line, Greece backs dueling EU pipelines
ATHENS – Greece continues to view positively plans by DEPA, Edison and Gazprom to revive the IGI Poseidon pipeline to transport Russian gas across...
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Go West! PM Tsipras Sends State Minister Pappas to the U.S. in search of a lifeline
If we have learned anything about the way Greek PM Alexis Tsipras operates, it this axiom: when times are tough it’s always smart to...
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Finland chills to Russian gas, will connect to EU
HELSINKI – Russia gas supplies to Finland have never been interrupted and the two countries share close relations but the Scandinavian country is planning to...
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U.S. Treasury's Nathan Sheets does Athens: Now what?
U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs Nathan Sheets stopped in Athens May 11 and met with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Finance Minister...
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