Energy cooperation is no longer only a matter of supply security or market integration. In the current geopolitical context, it has become a framework for stability, dialogue and economic development across the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Europe, said Stavros Papastavrou, Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, during the opening panel of the 11th edition of the HAEE Energy Transition Symposium, hosted by HAEE – Hellenic Association for Energy Economics.
Papastavrou argued that energy can serve as a bridge between Europe, the United States and the countries of the region, while also creating a common platform for investment, private-sector participation and rules-based cooperation. “Energy becomes this bridge of stability, but also of dialogue,” the minister said, underlining that the priority is not only to define what should be done, but to look at what is already being implemented. “For me, it’s not a matter of what I think we should be doing. It’s about what are we actually doing,” he added.
For Southeast Europe, including Romania, the message is particularly relevant. The region is increasingly seen not only as a transit space, but as a strategic energy corridor linking LNG entry points, gas interconnectors, regional markets and future offshore production. In this context, initiatives such as the Vertical Corridor can be understood as part of a wider geopolitical architecture aimed at strengthening resilience against supply shocks and reducing exposure to coercive energy dependencies.
Papastavrou placed regional formats such as the East Mediterranean Gas Forum and the 3+1 initiative (Greece, Cyprus, Israel + the United States) at the center of this new architecture. According to him, these platforms show that energy can help align countries around common interests: development, prosperity, stability and cooperation. “The initiatives of the EastMed Gas Forum or the 3+1 reflect a culture where the EastMed and energy become a center of stability, become a forum and a framework of cooperation with common interest, interest of development, prosperity,” he said.
The Greek minister also stressed that energy cooperation can help reduce the relevance of destabilizing behavior in a region historically marked by tensions. In his view, common infrastructure, commercial logic and shared strategic interests can create a practical alternative to confrontation.
The core of this approach is a rules-based energy order. Papastavrou referred to the importance of commercial rules, private-sector involvement and coordinated action between the United States, the European Union and regional countries. He said the region should focus on “how we should be following the Lex Mercatoria, how we should be having the private sector being active, how the United States, the European Union, the countries of the region should be all working together, playing by the rules, and creating prosperity.”
For Romania, this line of argument reinforces the strategic value of interconnectivity. The development of north-south gas routes, access to LNG through Greece, the role of Bulgaria and Romania in moving gas further into Central and Eastern Europe, and the future contribution of Black Sea gas all fit into the broader logic described by the Greek minister.
Papastavrou’s remarks also point to the growing convergence between energy security and foreign policy. Energy is no longer treated as a technical domain alone, but as an instrument of collective security and geopolitical resilience. This is especially important for countries on NATO’s eastern flank and for EU member states still exposed to volatility in global energy markets. “Energy becomes not only a bridge between Europe and the U.S., energy becomes as a pillar of stability and growth for the EastMed,” he said.
The minister also welcomed upcoming discussions in Washington, referring to the invitation of U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and to the East Mediterranean Gas Forum ministerial meeting. He described these meetings as proof that cooperation can generate greater results than isolated national action. “When we work together, we can achieve much more than each one individually,” Papastavrou said.
From a Romanian business perspective, the key takeaway is that regional energy infrastructure is becoming part of a strategic security framework. Pipelines, LNG terminals, storage, offshore production and cross-border market rules are increasingly viewed as tools that can strengthen the negotiating position of the entire region.
In this emerging architecture, Greece is positioning itself as a southern gateway for diversified energy supplies, while Romania can strengthen its role as both a producer and a regional transmission hub. The success of this model will depend on infrastructure delivery, commercial viability, regulatory alignment and sustained political coordination among Southeast European states, the EU and the United States.