We can now safely say that there was no gas leak. There was no risk to public safety,” Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said in an interview with ANT1, in response to a question about the smell that covered areas of Attica yesterday. “There was immediate mobilisation of all agencies and extensive on-site inspections were carried out,” he added.
Asked about the Special Spatial Framework for RES, which is being put out for public consultation from today, Mr. Papastavrou said that it creates a framework for the development of RES with greater clarity and stricter rules to protect the environment and local communities. He explained that, henceforth, there will be horizontal bans, stressing that in “forests, woodlands and Natura areas, photovoltaic panels will not be able to enter. We want renewable energy sources, but we want them in a more organised, clearer, more orderly way. There must be some clear boundaries, respecting the characteristics of each area,” he explained.
Papastavrou, asked to comment on recent provocations from Ankara, said: “Let us first see what Turkey will legislate. But anything that someone legislates unilaterally, which violates or is not in accordance with international law and the law of the sea, does not produce any legal effect.”
“Politics is not done in haste. It is done with a plan. In the last 12 months our country has moved ahead rapidly with the development of hydrocarbons, has institutionalised National Marine Parks and has moved forward with Marine Spatial Planning, which is now posted on the European website. These are three concrete, institutional actions, not fireworks, which if anything show determination,” he underlined and added: “Greece is moving forward, Greece has at this moment the greatest deterrent power it has ever had in its history. We have strength in the air and strength at sea. But this power is always exercised within the framework of international law. We are moving forward with a plan and with confidence.”
Finally, asked about the republication by US President Donald Trump of an interview he gave to a US media outlet, Mr. Papastavrou said that this is “important for the Government. It shows that America recognizes Greece and the Kyriakos Mitsotakis government as a strategic ally on energy issues.”
