Filenews 5 April 2025
A request for the issuance of a Navtex to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to continue the seabed surveys east of Kasos and Karpathos for the laying of the Crete-Cyprus-Israel electric cable, was submitted according to reliable information by IPTO, a move that marks the return of the two ships to the bottom surveys almost 40 days after the freezing of the project.
After a diplomatic and political marathon of processes that culminated in the last few days between the regulatory authorities of Greece Nicosia (RAAEV CERA) and the Ministry of the Environment, it seems that the time has come for the continuation of the investigations that were unexpectedly stopped on February 28 when Greece decided to suspend the payment of €36 million, which is the instalment that had to be paid to Nexans. Without counting the cost of the two-month inactivity of the ships, which is estimated at approximately €20 million.
The cable manufacturer has played a key role in the developments for GSI, as its demands for the continuation of the project were those that pressured the Greek side to find an immediate solution and while talks have been held between Greece, France and Israel at the highest political level that exists for the restart of the project and its support from the geopolitical risks it faces.
The assurances received by the Prime Minister from his recent trip to Paris with French President Macron as well as with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Tel Aviv advocate in this direction.
IPTO's request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be forwarded to the Hydrographic Service of the Hellenic Navy General Staff of the Ministry of National Defence to determine the map of the investigations within the framework of which the research vessels will operate.
This is a development of the utmost geostrategic importance for the large electrical interconnection that if everything develops as planned, it is not excluded that the ships will return to the Aegean within the next few days. A necessary prerequisite for this is the availability of the two ships, as information indicates that one of them (Revoli Relume) is anchored in the Netherlands.
protothema.gr / Marianna Tzanne
