On Friday, Theodoros Skylakakis, the Greek Minister for Environment and Energy, discussed the electricity interconnection between Crete and Cyprus.
In a response to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), as reported by energypress.gr, Skylakakis expressed disappointment over the recent developments: “Our expectations were not met,” he said, referring to the initial agreement reached on Monday, which President Christodoulides delayed ratifying. The President opted to directly engage with all parties, especially Nexans, on Tuesday, avoiding intermediaries (IPTO).
Skylakakis confirmed, “We will discuss this matter on Tuesday at a meeting called by the President of Cyprus, which he will also attend, as I was informed by the Cypriot Energy Minister.”
Speaking on the sidelines of a Thessaloniki conference, Minister Skylakakis referenced his previous statement from April, emphasising, “We’ve shown a surplus of goodwill to secure this project, but our primary responsibility is to the Greek consumer and taxpayer.”
He further clarified, “(Unlike Cyprus,) Greece is not an energy island. Protecting Greek consumers is crucial. We will act based on this and the need to safeguard the Greek taxpayer. If the European Commission’s funding (657 million euros to IPTO, with approximately 150 million euros already spent due to a lack of own capital, which must be reimbursed if the project is cancelled) is lost, the project’s chances diminish significantly. In such a scenario, a cost-benefit analysis becomes unnecessary.”
