With the Greece–Cyprus electricity interconnector at a critical juncture and preliminary survey work already under way, political tensions at home are reaching boiling point.
Against this backdrop, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is due to brief opposition leaders today on Athens’ diplomatic handling of the issue, the negotiations that preceded it and the contents of the French note verbale to Turkey and Egypt.
The briefing comes as the French research vessel Abeille Marengo has begun sailing and carrying out bathymetric surveys in the area, following the coordinates set out in the Greek NAVTEX. The frigate “Limnos” remains alongside it, monitoring the mission.
According to information on the French side’s clarifications, which Mr Gerapetritis is expected to present, its communication to Ankara and Cairo was made as a matter of diplomatic courtesy and in the interests of good relations, and did not fulfil any obligation or amount to a request for authorisation.
Moreover, the government stresses that notifying the authorities of the research vessel’s movements within the coordinates specified in the relevant NAVTEX does not constitute recognition of any maritime jurisdiction, nor does it represent a French position on the existing legal disputes in the area.
This is also the main argument put forward by Athens as it seeks to separate the French diplomatic notification from any interpretation that it was seeking Turkish consent.
“Proceeding as planned”
The foreign minister has made clear that the project is proceeding as planned, stressing that Greece has granted the required authorisation for the surveys and the laying of the cable.
“This is a project of European importance, and we will not tolerate any kind of interference in it”, he said in a statement yesterday from Iraqi Kurdistan. He added that there was no reason for confrontation over an electricity interconnector that forms part of a broader European plan.
He also noted that the Greece–Cyprus electricity interconnector is a project of fundamental importance to Europe, as it is intended to connect Greece with Cyprus and, at a later stage, with the Middle East.
Diplomatic sources also point out that Turkey’s NAVTEX was issued after the fact, without any prior request to Ankara for authorisation, while the Greek and Cypriot counter-NAVTEX reject Turkey’s claims. Athens insists that the research vessel is operating in line with the original plan and the provisions set out by the relevant Greek and Cypriot authorities.
The briefing for party leaders also has a broader political dimension. Opposition parties have sought explanations about the handling of the issue ahead of the resumption of surveys, voicing concern that Turkey could use the French note verbale as an argument in future diplomatic discussions.
The Maximos Mansion, for its part, is seeking to project a message of resolve, arguing that the project’s progress on the ground belies predictions that it would be suspended again.