France is stepping in to back the Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection project, with President Emmanuel Macron perso...

France is stepping in to back the Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection project, with President Emmanuel Macron personally signaling his country's readiness to launch seabed surveys in the Eastern Mediterranean. Macron told Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their Paris meeting last Wednesday that France is ready to begin the bathymetric research surveys shortly, according to sources cited by Sunday's Kathimerini. The French angle carries significant strategic weight. French company Meridiam is the majority shareholder in the consortium set to develop the project, and the French-flagged vessel doing the seabed surveys matters for a specific reason: if Turkey creates complications, it would be Paris, not Athens or Nicosia, that handles direct dealings with Ankara. The start of the surveys has not been pinned down to an exact date, but sources close to the project estimate work could begin somewhere between late September and early November. Athens has already been briefed to ensure the planned announcement does not conflict with any core Greek national positions. The French side is reportedly leaning toward issuing a single formal notice to all coastal states in the region informing them that surveys are beginning. That approach would sidestep bilateral negotiations and put all parties on equal footing in terms of notification. The Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection has faced years of delays, largely due to Turkish objections to survey work passing through disputed maritime zones. France's direct involvement, with its own flag on the vessel and its own company leading the project, changes the diplomatic calculus considerably. #GreeceEnergy #Cyprus #EasternMediterranean