Athens has rejected claims that permission was sought or obtained from Turkey for the electricity interconnection project between Greece and Cyprus.
In an interview with public broadcaster ERT, Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the procedures had been carried out by the Greek and Cypriot authorities in accordance with international rules and law.
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Marinakis also addressed France’s diplomatic note. He said such communication is not an authorization, has no legal consequences and cannot be taken as recognition of another state’s sovereign rights, Protothema reports.
He described a diplomatic note as the mildest form of communication between states, stressing that it has no legal effect and does not constitute permission.
The spokesperson confirmed that the Greek side was aware of the French communication. He explained that France has a direct interest in the project because two French companies are involved. Other countries in the region, he said, had also been informed of developments, but no approval had been sought from them.
Marinakis stressed that permission or authorization for the project had not been, and would not be, sought from any state other than Greece and Cyprus.
Speaking about the importance of the interconnection, he described it as infrastructure of European interest, intended to end Cyprus’s energy isolation. He noted that the island is currently the only European Union member state without an electricity connection to other countries in the bloc.
According to the spokesperson, the project will proceed as planned, while the Foreign Ministry and relevant institutions are closely monitoring developments. He said Greece would not back down from its positions on sovereignty, while also working to maintain peace and regional stability.
Marinakis emphasized that Greece should carry out the project without making any concessions and in a way that preserves peace in the region. He again rejected the interpretation that the French note constituted authorization from Turkey and assured that the Greece-Cyprus interconnection would move ahead without calling into question the sovereign rights of either country.
