The Wall Street Journal says U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle repeatedly promoted Aktor, whose lobbyist Christos Marafatsos was a frequent presence at her meetings. The U.S. Embassy says she complied with State Department guidance on her Bulgaria trip.
Aktor recently signed a $6 billion agreement to supply U.S. liquefied natural gas to Albania, though the company was new to the business. In April, Guilfoyle said she attended the signing of a 20-year U.S. LNG agreement involving Albania, Venture Global and Aktor LNG USA. The agreement is part of a “vertical gas corridor” intended to supply Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe with gas from sources diversified from Russia.
Government officials who met Guilfoyle and Marafatsos said he made no mention of his Aktor ties, the Journal reported. Former National Security Council director Robin Brooks called the promotion “absolutely problematic,” saying a registered lobbyist’s presence in meetings raised questions about whether they advanced U.S. or private interests.
