Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen highlighted the importance of the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnector and said in a post that it “is moving ahead with the support of the European Union”. He met the energy ministers of the two countries, Stavros Papastavrou and Michalis Damianos, to discuss the project.
The timing of the statement and the EU official’s meeting with the two ministers is significant, as a NAVTEX is expected to be issued ahead of the resumption of work by the French-flagged vessel Abeille Marengo, which has been in the port of Heraklion since Tuesday.
“This is a strategic energy interconnector, one of the EU’s energy highways, which will end Cyprus’s energy isolation while also contributing to regional security of energy supply, market integration and lower prices,” the Energy Commissioner said in his post.
According to reports, the vessel’s surveys will resume at the boundary of Kasos’s six-nautical-mile territorial waters, exactly where they were halted in July 2024.
The NAVTEX, expected in early November, will provide a precise picture of how and where the vessel will operate. The key question remains what Turkey’s response will be.
In other words, has Ankara taken on board the message delivered by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his recent visit to Athens: that he finds it inconceivable for two NATO allies and partners to be driven into a crisis? Or will it seek to use the familiar argument that the area is “Turkish continental shelf” to claim a say as a “coastal state” and exert pressure by threatening escalation?
In any case, the question is not only to what extent Greek and French officials have found a formula in back-channel contacts with Turkey that would allow the surveys to continue while safeguarding national sovereign rights and avoiding a crisis, but also whether Athens has prepared for every possible scenario.
That means planning both for the response to a possible Turkish NAVTEX and for the possibility of the vessel being harassed over the radio, as well as any attempt to block the “VB Abeille Marengo” with warships, following the precedent of Italy’s “Ievoli Relume” two and a half years ago.
According to one reading, the fact that the green light has been given for the process to begin means that the French side’s efforts have resulted in some kind of understanding with Turkey. This meets the conditions set by Athens, avoids the threat of a new incident like the one in July 2024 and safeguards Greece’s position.