Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis confirmed that the process for the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnector has begun.
At a briefing for political reporters, responding to a related question, he said: “I can confirm. The French company Nexans has submitted an application for a licence to carry out survey work and lay a cable for the interconnector linking Greece and Cyprus.
The process laid down by law will now follow. The survey will be conducted by a French vessel, and I want to make clear that the permit application will be submitted only to the competent Greek authorities. As for the project’s implementation, Greece has not consulted with any other countries apart from France and Cyprus, which is self-evident.”.
Asked about Kimberly Guilfoyle, Mr Marinakis said: “The decision on an appointment rests with the government of the day; it is not for us to interfere or comment. I represent the prime minister and the government, not any country’s ambassador or any businessperson, and I do not comment on reports that fall outside our remit.
Who each ambassador chooses to work with is their own decision. The decision to remove or appoint someone rests exclusively with the government of the day and, in this case, the US; it is not for us to comment or demand an explanation, as opposition parties are saying.”.
On the Parthenon Marbles and the British Museum director’s proposal that they be displayed both in Greece and in London, the government spokesman said: “Our position is unchanged: we are talking about reunification, and in no way about a loan or anything else.”
Commenting on remarks by Hellenic Police spokesperson Theoni Koufonikolakou about the support measures that were announced, he said: “It is very easy to make comments from the sidelines about such important measures when you have never seriously answered the questions of how much, when or where the money would come from. We recognise that more is always needed, but these announcements offer relief to citizens within the limits of the public finances.
And this is the result of the prudent policy we pursue. Mr Tsipras left office with the maximum heating allowance set at €350. The maximum amount has tripled since then. We are facing the biggest energy crisis in history. Let’s step outside the opposition’s bubble for a moment. Greece is not detached from global realities.”