Energy to top the agenda during Russian president's Athens visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving in Greece on May 28, with the main subject topping his agenda being the promotion of a new conduit for the transmission of Russian natural gas via Bulgaria and Greece, including the utilization of the plan for the Interconnector Greece-Italy (IGI) pipeline.

The Russian president's energy agenda also includes the revival of Russian companies's interest in the privatizations of the Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) and Hellenic Petroleum, should they go ahead, as well as Russian electricity companies' joint ventures with Public Power Corporation (PPC). The Russian interest in Thessaloniki Port Authority and Trainose will also be reassessed.

Putin's visit to Athens is seen as politically important both for the Russian side, which is looking forward to Greece's support for the promotion of its new geopolitical strategy in the broader...