President Nicos Christodoulides stated on Monday that relations between Cyprus and Greece are stronger than ever, dismissing speculation of a bilateral crisis arising from a dispute with the Greek electricity transmission operator IPTO over the Cyprus-Greece power interconnector project.
“Relations between Nicosia and Athens, relations between the Cypriot government and the Greek government, my relationship with the Greek prime minister are stronger than ever before,” Christodoulides told journalists whilst arriving at the Shipping Cyprus conference in Limassol.
The president issued a pointed warning to those anticipating deterioration in bilateral ties. “Those investing in a rupture of relations between the Greek government and the Cypriot government, of my relationship with the Greek prime minister, will be disappointed. And to refer to something very recent, they saw evidence last week,” he stated.
Christodoulides warns those betting on bilateral rift will be disappointed
The president added that recent developments “provide answers to all related questions”, without elaborating on specific events from the previous week.
The issue emerged following Phileleftheros revelations that IPTO, as the project implementation body, submitted an objection to the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority against the regulator’s decision dated 31 July 2024. CERA approved cost recovery of €82 million but authorised collection of only €25 million for the January to December 2025 period.
Sources say IPTO is seeking recognition of the right to recover €251 million for expenses incurred to date, before project completion, according to the report.
IPTO dispute centres on cost recovery for Cyprus-Greece power link
Following the Phileleftheros report on Sunday, Christodoulides stated: “If the head of IPTO thinks that the Cypriot government is blackmailed with such letters or with paid advertisements, obviously he does not know who he is dealing with. The government is here to support only the interests of the Cypriot people.”
The statement generated controversy in both Cyprus and Greece. IPTO subsequently issued an announcement confirming it filed an objection against CERA’s decision but disputed portions of Phileleftheros’s reporting.
The Greek operator maintained it is claiming only the €25 million for 2025 cost recovery and recognition of remaining expenses (€251 million, according to IPTO) for recovery later, following the interconnector’s operational launch.
Greek government spokesman echoes message of strong bilateral ties
Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis responded to the developments during a briefing for political editors on Monday, stating that Greece-Cyprus relations “are strong and will not be disrupted because of one project”.
“Following what President Christodoulides stated today, I want to express on behalf of the prime minister and the Greek government absolute alignment and identification regarding the pursuit of the common interests of Greece and Cyprus,” Marinakis said.
“Our relationship will continue to be strong and will not be disrupted because of one specific project,” the spokesman added.
Regarding the interconnector project’s progress, Marinakis stated: “The progress of the interconnection project is linked to the resolution of economic and technical pending issues and to not disputing its viability.”
The Cyprus-Greece electricity interconnector is a major infrastructure project linking the two countries’ power grids. The project aims to end Cyprus’s energy isolation as the only European Union member state without electricity grid connection to the continental network.
