Houston became the backdrop for a major milestone in Eastern Mediterranean cooperation as the United States, Greece, Cyprus and Israel inaugurated the East Med Energy Center alongside the 3+1 Energy Ministerial Meeting, implementing one significant provision of the 2019 EastMed Act.
Hosted at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy-one of the leading US centers for energy and geopolitical analysis-the Center is expected to evolve into a permanent mechanism for cooperation among the four countries.
Its mission is to strengthen research, innovation and strategic dialogue while serving as a bridge between governments, academic institutions, research organizations and the private sector on the major energy and geopolitical developments shaping the Eastern Mediterranean.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright praised Greece, Cyprus and Israel, arguing that they are transforming not only their own energy future but also the prospects of the broader region. He linked the creation of the Center to the Trump administration’s broader belief that trade, investment and energy cooperation can serve as forces for stability and bring nations closer together.
As Wright noted, unlike geopolitical conflicts, where there is typically a winner and a loser, commerce creates mutual benefits. “This is to stitch a region together in commerce, not conflict,” he said.
