Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, is in Houston, United States, where he is holding meetings with representatives of major energy companies Chevron and ExxonMobil on the sidelines of the major global energy conference CERAWeek 2026.
Papastavrou is accompanied by Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Nikos Tsafos and the chief executive of the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company, Aristofanis Stefatos. The visit is part of Greece’s broader effort to advance hydrocarbon exploration projects and strengthen its role in regional energy developments.
According to the ministry, Papastavrou and Tsafos are scheduled to meet Chevron’s Vice President for Exploration, Kevin McLachlan, followed by a meeting with ExxonMobil Vice President John Ardill. Discussions are expected to focus on accelerating the implementation of already ratified agreements related to hydrocarbon exploration and development in Greece and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
As part of the conference program, Papastavrou is also participating in a panel discussion titled “The Gas Bridge: Connecting EastMed Gas to Global Markets,” alongside senior European and international energy officials and market analysts. The discussion is expected to focus on the strategic role of Eastern Mediterranean natural gas in global energy markets and Europe’s energy diversification efforts.
Deputy Minister Tsafos is also participating in a separate panel on European competitiveness, regulations and economic growth, reflecting broader concerns within Europe about energy costs, industrial competitiveness and the regulatory environment for energy investments.
During his visit to Houston, Papastavrou is also scheduled to speak at an event hosted in his honor by the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, a leading research institute in energy geopolitics. His speech will focus on Greece’s increasingly important role in the transatlantic energy architecture, particularly as Europe seeks to diversify energy sources and strengthen energy security following recent geopolitical crises.
