Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said Monday it is "inconceivable" that Turkey could obstruct seabed surveys ...

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said Monday it is "inconceivable" that Turkey could obstruct seabed surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector, with Greece preparing to issue a navtex for survey work in waters between Crete and Cyprus in the coming weeks. The project, which would link the electricity grids of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, has already received a 657-million-euro grant from the European Commission and was recently acquired by French asset management firm Meridiam, which bought a majority stake last month. About 60 percent of the seabed surveys have already been completed, according to Greece's grid operator Admie. Gerapetritis said international law does not permit any country to block electricity interconnections of this type, and that Greece would advance the project in full cooperation with France. He added that the EU, Greek, French, and European sides would take whatever steps were necessary to see the surveys through. The minister also drew attention to a pointed contradiction, noting that European law must be applied without exceptions, especially when the potential obstruction comes from a country that aspires to EU membership. The EU considers the project a matter of European common interest, as its completion would end Cyprus's energy isolation and strengthen the resilience of the European energy market as a whole. #GreatSeaInterconnector #GreeceTurkey #Cyprus