A major electricity interconnection project linking Greece and Cyprus remains stalled as authorities have yet to authorize the resumption of seabed surveys in the eastern Mediterranean, raising fresh questions about Turkey’s willingness to allow work in disputed waters.
The French vessel Abeille Marengo, tasked with conducting surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), has been waiting at the port of Heraklion, Crete, since Tuesday for a navigational warning, known as NAVTEX, that would permit operations to begin.
The vessel submitted its request on Oct. 8, but more than three weeks later, approval remains pending. Such authorizations are typically processed within approximately 15 days.
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ
The delay comes despite extensive diplomatic contacts between Paris and Ankara aimed at preventing a repeat of tensions that halted surveys near the Greek island of Kasos in July 2024.
Greek officials expect the licensing process to be completed in the coming days, after which the Foreign Ministry would forward its decision to the Hellenic Navy’s Hydrographic Service for issuance of the NAVTEX.
Under the current plan, surveys would resume at the six-nautical-mile limit of Kasos’s territorial waters, where competing maritime claims have previously triggered friction between Greece and Turkey.
The project has become a geopolitical test for Athens, particularly regarding its ability to exercise maritime rights under its 2020 exclusive economic zone delimitation agreement with Egypt.
France’s involvement, alongside infrastructure investor Meridiam, has raised the political stakes. Another postponement could intensify domestic criticism of the Greek government and cast doubt on the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts to secure the project’s progress.
The situation is being closely monitored by regional powers, including Israel, given the strategic importance of energy connectivity in the eastern Mediterranean.
A parallel telecommunications project highlights the contrast.
The survey vessel Kobi Reugg, working on the EMC fiber-optic cable linking Asia and Europe through Saudi Arabia and Greece, continues operating along a nearly identical route without physical interference.
Turkey has challenged the Greek authorization through competing NAVTEX notices, claiming the surveys are proceeding with Ankara’s consent. Nevertheless, operations have continued uninterrupted.
