By Vassilis Nedos
Nexans, the French contractor responsible for the Greece–Cyprus electricity interconnection, known as the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), has also asked the Republic of Cyprus authorities to issue the permits needed to conduct surveys.
Rubio expressed support in principle for the electricity interconnection, even suggesting that Washington could work behind the scenes to help advance it.
According to information obtained by Kathimerini, the process unfolded at roughly the same time as the corresponding applications submitted to Greece’s interministerial Committee for Granting Marine Survey Permits on Oct. 8.
The French company’s parallel moves in Greece and Cyprus send a clear signal that surveys are set to resume, although the precise timetable remains uncertain.
Issuing a NAVTEX
Sources familiar with the necessary procedural steps told Kathimerini that, because the project is already licensed, a request for a NAVTEX, a maritime notice issued for navigational safety, could reach the Hellenic Navy’s Hydrographic Service without necessarily waiting for the committee’s usual 10-day processing period to expire.
This is because an extension granted on Feb. 11, 2026, allows seabed-depth surveys to continue until the end of the year.
Nevertheless, despite the existing authorization, there appears to be a willingness to follow the full procedure, making clear the shift in approach by Athens and, of course, Paris toward moving the project forward.
Current estimates suggest the NAVTEX could be issued in the final 10 days of October, although a slight delay into early November cannot be ruled out.
The timing is significant: Nexans submitted its application to the Greek Foreign Ministry on Oct. 8, exactly one day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Athens. Rubio expressed support in principle for the electricity interconnection, even suggesting that Washington could work behind the scenes to help advance it.
Relevant sources reiterated yesterday that Nexans would not engage with any party other than the two countries involved in the project: Greece and the Republic of Cyprus.
Ankara, meanwhile, is adopting a wait-and-see approach, keeping its intentions to itself ahead of the next steps by Nexans, which is evidently also coordinating with the French state.
Eyes on Libya
As these developments unfold, Athens is also watching Libya, particularly Benghazi. Beyond the increased migration flows from the country’s east, political developments on the ground warrant attention.
Following Aguila Saleh’s resignation as speaker of Libya’s Benghazi-based parliament, he was succeeded by Al-Salhin Abdel Nabi, who is considered close to Saddam Haftar, the 35-year-old son of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and deputy commander of the Libyan National Army.
Over the past two years, Ankara has cultivated ties with Saddam Haftar, seeking to persuade him that Libya’s parliament should ratify the Turkey–Libya maritime memorandum. Such a move could significantly strengthen relations between Benghazi and Ankara while also helping him consolidate his own power.
Egypt, for its own reasons, is among those opposed to that prospect. Greek and Egyptian diplomats held consultations in Athens yesterday on the evolving situation in Libya.
Israel has also recently maintained significant contacts with the Haftar faction, seeking to establish a presence in eastern Libya as a counterweight to Turkey.
