The Minister of Environment and Energy described “a vote of confidence for Greece” as a vote of confidence in Greece Stavros Papastavrou her interest Chevron For four marine plots south of Crete and the Peloponnese.
“This is the second largest oil company in the world, with a capitalization of more than $ 300 billion, that is, greater than the country’s GDP,” he told ERT, stressing that its presence is giving it a “reasonable expectation of commercial exploitation” of natural wealth.
He clarified, however, that the procedure is not immediate: “After the contract is completed, it will go to the Court of Auditors and Parliament. Seismic and geophysical studies will follow, and then – if the data confirms – research and normal drilling. ” As he said, the goal is to complete the procedures “by the end of the year, so that in 2025 we can move forward quickly”.
“If they are confirmed that they are commercially exploitable, this is going to our country at another level, economic. It gives Greeks and Greeks – tomorrow, not in ten years – the expectation that our standard of living will change significantly, ”Papastavrou added.
Asked about those who argue that the arrival of the company was “law -abiding”, he replied: “National successes belong to all Greeks. Nothing is given to us, nothing comes alone. It is the result of overall effort – by Law Maniatis in 2011, the movements of the Samara -Venizelos governments, the actions of my predecessors, to the acceleration the prime minister has requested. “
In closing, he pointed out that “there is no room for small -cooled disagreements”, referring to a “national team that must be marched united”.
Invited to comment on his reactions SYRIZAMr Papastavrou said of the opposition party that “he has been trapped in obsessions. The mineral, underwater wealth is something that all countries exploit – Italy, Albania, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Libya. I think SYRIZA returns to politics that the Aegean belongs to its fish. It’s not like that. Natural wealth belongs to the Greeks and the Greeks and we have to exploit it. “
“The thoughts that the wealth of our country should not be exploited are obsolete and are not in line with the data of the time,” he added. environmental minister
Mr. Papastavrou reported and In the geopolitical significance of Chevron’s interesthe noted that “the reality is that Chevron, with its interest and recognition, wishes to investigate south of Crete and the Peloponnese, reinforces our sovereign rights.”
He also described a first priority issue to reduce the wholesale price of electricity. As he explained, the wholesale reduction by 20-30% must be passed on to the consumer to lighten the budget of each household. “We will be on top and, as the prime minister said, if not, the government will find a way to do so
Finally, the Minister of the Environment also referred to New Town Planning Codeemphasizing the importance of integrating spatial and urban planning legislation. Indeed, as he typically noted, there were 170 different laws to date, and some have been since 1923, which made it difficult to implement and understand the rules by citizens, civil engineers and lawyers. “All of these laws become a code, a specific tool that will make it easier for the citizen to know his rights and obligations,” he said.
At the same time, he stressed that the process is proceeding at a fast pace and that the new Code is expected to be submitted to Parliament before the end of September, offering a clear and stable institutional framework for property and urban planning.