The Republic of Cyprus is approaching the electrical interconnection project (Great Sea Interconnector among Israel, Cyprus and Greece) as a project of geostrategic importance, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, has said.
He was speaking on 30 December, replying to journalists' questions after visiting the Filoxenia Conference Center in Nicosia.
Asked whether he had been informed about the content of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and whether the issue of the electrical interconnection and the possible role of Cyprus in relation to the IMEC corridor was raised, the President of the Republic said that “we have been initially briefed in relation to the results, and upon Mr. Netanyahu’s return to Israel we will receive full information in relation to everything that has been discussed.”
Invited to comment on statements by Democratic Party President, Nicholas Papadopoulos, on the issue of electrical interconnection, the President of the Republic said that the Cyprus government has a clear position in relation to the electrical interconnection.
"The Republic of Cyprus approaches this in practice and not in words as a project of geostrategic importance and on this specific issue we are in daily contact with the Greek Prime Minister," he said, adding that this morning he had a contact with the Greek Prime Minister and one of the many issues they discussed was this specific matter.
He recalled that there is an agreement between the Greek Prime Minister and himself in relation to the obligations arising from the implementation of this specific project, but also the decision to update the relevant studies due to the intense international interest expressed in relation to participation in this specific project.
Invited to comment information that the section of the project connecting Israel with Cyprus would be completed first, and that the European Commission did not favour this development, the President of the Republic said that there has not been such a response from the European Commission.
“These are issues that we are discussing and these issues are also related to the need for a revised study that includes the specific project in its entirety,” he noted.
Asked if there is a timetable for this study and whether it has started, the President of the Republic said that “we are in the final stage, possibly in the next 24 hours we will have a specific announcement on who will be assigned to update this specific study.”
(Source: CNA)
