Greece to Speed up Gas Exploration to Help Replace Russian Gas, Says PM

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers a speech during the inauguration of a solar power park , the largest project of renewable energy sources in Greece, at the village of Vilera, near Kozani, northern Greece, on April 6, 2022. (AFP)

Greece will speed up gas exploration projects in concert with private investors, its prime minister said on Tuesday, as it cuts its reliance on Russian energy and looks to become an energy hub in Europe.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and fears over gas supply in Europe have exacerbated a jump in prices, forcing the European Union to seek ways to reduce its reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and to end it completely by 2027.