Greece is days away from resuming seabed surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector, the long-delayed undersea power cable...

Greece is days away from resuming seabed surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector, the long-delayed undersea power cable meant to link the electricity grids of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. A NAVTEX navigation warning is expected to be issued by Monday, clearing the final procedural hurdle for the French-flagged vessel Abeille Marengo to begin operations, initially within Greek territorial waters. Technical discussions have already wrapped up, with the navigation notice now the last outstanding step before work gets underway. Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is expected to sign off on the authorization before the Navy's Hydrographic Service formally issues the NAVTEX. Greece's Foreign Ministry has also extended the French survey authorization to cover all of 2027, signaling that this restart is intended to go the distance. Turkey is expected to voice objections, though analysts and officials do not anticipate Ankara will physically obstruct the work this time. A key factor is Turkey's role as host of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya from November 9 to 20, a window during which a confrontational move at sea would carry significant diplomatic costs. The question of how France formally notifies Ankara remains open. French Ambassador to Turkey Isabelle Dumont met Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay on Thursday, with the GSI almost certainly on the agenda. The manner of that notification could shape the tone of Turkey's response. This project has been in limbo for nearly a decade. Its most serious derailment came in 2024, when Turkey deployed warships to shadow the previous survey vessel south of Kasos, citing its contested 2019 maritime memorandum with Libya. About 60 percent of seabed surveys are already complete; what remains includes the most sensitive stretch of the route. A further recommendation from the marine research permits committee is still pending, though approval is expected imminently. #GreatSeaInterconnector #Greece #EasternMediterranean