Cyprus and Greece are determined to go ahead with the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) electricity link and will exercise their rights under international law and the Law of the Sea, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Wednesday.
Palmas was speaking on the sidelines of the ‘Nemesis’ exercise. He was answering a question about the resumption of seabed surveys and a research vessel expected to enter Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on 19 November, or a few days later if there are delays.
He said the two countries’ activities are within the framework of international law and the Law of the Sea, and that as long as they act within that framework they “do not have to answer to anyone”.
Asked whether he expected any obstacles, Palmas said the climate was good. He said there should be little talk and a lot of action to put the project into practice, and that it should be handled seriously and responsibly, without raising tensions or public statements creating a warlike climate.
Palmas described the GSI as a project of real and geopolitical value, of European interest, in which two EU member states are taking part in cooperation with French companies. He said it matters for Europe, which at times, particularly during crises, faces energy problems.
The aim is to create the conditions for the project to be completed in 2031, he said. He described it as a long-term development project with EU funding, and said the EU is expected to grant it more than 630 million euros.
Palmas said the world was already going through enough crises, citing the war in Ukraine, the prolonged crisis with Iran and the resulting geopolitical instability and insecurity. Public statements should not add further issues that heighten that climate, he said.
(information from the Cyprus News Agency)
