Talks on the Cyprus-Crete electricity interconnection project will continue in the coming days, officials announced following a lengthy meeting at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on Tuesday.
President Nikos Christodoulides and energy ministers from Cyprus and Greece provided little detail on the discussions, merely stating that parties had listened to each other and work would continue towards reaching a conclusion.
Greek Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis hinted at the need for political decisions, responding to a question about future talks by saying they would occur “at a political level, of course.”
A representative from Nexans, the French company contracted to construct the €1.4 billion interconnector cable, attended the meeting. Industry sources suggest Nexans has expressed frustration over delays in finalising the project’s regulatory framework, which has postponed IPTO’s full notice to proceed with cable manufacturing.
The Cypriot government is now tasked with evaluating the meeting’s outcomes to determine which elements bring the project closer to a final agreement.
Given the seriousness of the matter and the implications of the final decisions on Cyprus’s energy future, it is not unlikely that President Christodoulides may choose to brief the political leadership or have direct contacts with political leaders to record their official positions before finalising his decision.
