Greece PM opens door for bumper UK trade deal with energy partnership: ‘Huge potential’

Eurozone agrees Greece bailout deal in 2015

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Speaking to Sky News at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Mr Mitsotakis listed off plans that would ramp up energy produced from renewable sources. 

And the Greek Prime Minister plans to collaborate with the UK to accelerate the Green transition. 

He said: “We could also cooperate with the UK when it comes to offshore wind.

“It is a big issue for the UK, it will be a big issue for Greece and so we are going to be presenting a framework for regulating the industry. 

“There is huge potential and we can cooperate with the UK.”

Mr Mitsotakis also praised the UK’s climate efforts. 

He told Sky News: “I’m happy that the UK has set its own ambitious target, the Prime Minister seems very committed [to fighting climate change].

He said: “Every country has its own pockets of natural competitive advantages. 

“We are leaders in shipping, global shipping, so I do urge our shipowners to be at the forefront of the green transition by investing in more funds into the future of sustainable shipping.” 

These comments also come as the UK and Greece already agreed on closer collaboration last month. 

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss signed the UK-Greece Strategic Bilateral Framework with Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

The deal seeks to boost trade, security and digital cooperation between the two countries.

The framework drawn up should be able to allo individual deals to be done across different sectors which foreign policy, defence, trade and investment, health, education, tourism and maritime affairs.

Ms Truss said: “The framework we’ve signed with Greece will open up new opportunities for trade and investment in both countries, enabling better cooperation between businesses, investors and industry, and builds on strong security and defence cooperation as we seek to challenge malign actors that threaten to disrupt our freedoms and way of life.”

But offshore wind are not the only plans the Greek Prime Minister has in his locker to help drive the green transition. 

He said: “We just signed an agreement Egypt for electricty interconnection. 

“The quickest way to bring electricty from North Africa through Eastern Europe is through Greece so we plan to build a 3gigawatt electricty connection that will allow us to leverage the potential of North Africa in terms of electricty production. 

“The next step will be hydrogen, when green hydrogen is produced it will need to be transported into Europe and Greece. 

“Greece by virtue of its geography is the natural entry point for electricity, today hydrogen, tomorrow natural gas, so I envision Greece to be an energy hub connecting the Middle East, Africa and Europe.”

These innovative plans could spell good news for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is continuing to build international partnerships to help with new strategies to reach net zero emissions by 2050. 

Mr Johnson will no doubt be hoping that more countries will come forward and offer their collaboration and allow Britain to enter into more green deals with other countries at the COP26 climate summit, which began today.

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