Greece is ‘definitely’ interested in acquiring LNG from Canada – Greek PM

The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, says that Greece would like to buy Canada‘s liquefied natural gas if it is possible for them to do so.

Mitsotakis talked to Vassy Kapelos for an interview that will be shown on Sunday. This happened while the prime minister was visiting Canada.

Canada is working on eight projects to make natural gas into a liquid. The first export place will start working next year and will send goods to some Asian countries.

The question of whether Canada should sell its products to European countries in the future has been a long-standing political argument.

The problem has become more urgent after Russia invaded Ukraine. Many Western countries are now trying to stop buying Russian oil.

“We handle a lot of LNG and serve not only Greece, but also Balkan and Eastern Europe,” Mitsotakis said. “In theory, we could also give supplies to Ukraine. ”

“We are very interested in getting LNG at good prices, he said. “We need a steady source of electricity, and in Greece, we don’t use nuclear power and are moving away from coal. So, for now, natural gas will continue to be an important source of energy for making electricity. ”

When someone asked whether Canada could be a good partner, Mitsotakis said “yes, definitely. “

“He said Canada and our country have similar beliefs and opinions on some big issues like Ukraine and Gaza. ”

In August 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wasn’t sure if exporting LNG should be part of Canada’s long-term plan to provide clean energy to Europe.

Speaking with the German Chancellor at a press meeting, Trudeau seemed to doubt if it makes sense to invest in LNG projects.

“We’re trying to increase our energy production and might send LNG to Europe if it’s profitable,” Trudeau said.

“But in the future, Canada can become a major energy supplier to the world in a net-zero economy. ” This means putting money into hydrogen and critical minerals, as well as other solutions.

Mitsotakis is the first leader of Greece to come to Canada in over 40 years. He wants to tell everyone that Greece is ready to do business. Economists think the economy will grow steadily and prices will not go up as much in the next few years, after a long time of very bad economic problems.

“Greece has made a really good recovery in the economy. I believe that we have moved past the crisis,” he said. “I think now is a good time for Canadian businesses to consider investing in Greece. ”

Mitsotakis talked about how Canada needs to spend more money on its military, aiming to reach the NATO goal of spending two per cent of the country’s GDP on defence. He also talked about the war in Ukraine.

“I know it can be tempting to not spend money on defense and use it for other things, but we never had that option,” he said. “We always put more than two percent of our money towards defense. ”

“But since this is a goal for all NATO countries, it’s important for all of them to achieve it,” he said.

Mitsotakis talked about the trade deal between Canada and the European Union, called CETA, and the problems in approving it. He said he will talk about this with Trudeau this weekend.