Energy Minister George Papanastasiou will attend this week’s meeting of energy ministers from the European Union’s ‘Med9’ states, which is set to take place in the town of Portoroz, on Slovenia’s Adriatic coast.

The summit, to be held on Sunday and Monday, will bring the nine ministers together “with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation to transform the Mediterranean into a green energy hub, as well as to strengthen the region’s climate resilience”.

The Cyprus News Agency reported that “special emphasis” will be placed on “the promotion of cross-border projects related to renewable energy sources”, as well as “coordinated actions for the green transition and supporting the Mediterranean’s competitiveness”.

The Med9 consists of the EU’s eight member states which have Mediterranean coastlines – Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, and Spain – and Portugal.

The most recent Med9 energy ministers’ summit took place in Larnaca last September, with Papanastasiou at the time saying that the meeting “reminds us of the critical role that energy plays in the Mediterranean region, not only as a driver of economic growth and development, but also as a key factor in addressing the urgent challenges of climate change and energy security”.

“We also share the same goals and commitments to climate neutrality and therefore it is our responsibility to ensure a sustainable, secure and affordable energy future for our citizens,” he said.