The Abeille Marengo, the vessel set to carry out surveys for the installation of the Cyprus–Crete electricity interconnection cable, departed Naples, Italy, on Friday.

It is expected to arrive in Heraklion on Tuesday, but is awaiting the issuance of a NAVTEX for the survey area.

According to reports, the NAVTEX is expected during the first 10 days of November. Once the required procedure has been completed, it will provide a precise picture of how and where the French-flagged survey vessel will operate.

The same reports indicated that the surveys would resume exactly where they were halted, at the limit of the six-nautical-mile territorial waters off Kasos.

Map showing the cable route

The corporate consortium behind the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), in which French company Meridiam now holds the majority stake and the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO/ADMIE) is the project manager, together with project contractor Nexans, had completed preparations to resume work before the end of September.

They were awaiting the green light following the conclusion of behind-the-scenes contacts by the French side, including with Turkey, so that the process could begin with an application for authorisation for the vessel and the issuance of a NAVTEX.

Exchange of “messages”

Meanwhile, an indirect exchange of public “messages” between the foreign ministers of the two countries, Hakan Fidan and Giorgos Gerapetritis, appears to be opening the way for the uninterrupted resumption of surveys for the Cyprus–Crete electricity interconnection cable, as the deadline for the Greek NAVTEX for the Abeille Marengo surveys approaches.

Hakan Fidan told the Greek newspaper TA NEA that Turkey “requires written notification, not merely verbal communication”, stating: “We are going to take specific actions in a specific area; here are the coordinates. That is all we are asking for.”

A short time later, Giorgos Gerapetritis, responding to a related question on Mega TV, stressed: “Greece is the only country from which authorisation will be requested, and has been requested, for the Greece–Cyprus interconnection. Information regarding the survey could be provided, with a clear reference that this is not an authorisation procedure.”

The statements appear to confirm information published by Proto Thema on Sunday, 18 October, concerning the Greek formula, under which the application would be submitted to Greece while “communication” — rather than formal notification — would also be provided to Turkey and Cyprus.

Thus, while Turkey is expected to seek to portray the communication as a “request”, it will probably issue its own NAVTEX, prompting a Greek counter-NAVTEX. This would allow the survey work to begin under Greek authorisation, while Turkey claims that the surveys are being conducted with its own consent as well.