Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is in Jerusalem today and high on his agenda will be advancing a stalled plan to link his country’s electricity grid with Israel and Cyprus
The $2.7 billion Great Sea Interconnector remains stalled over Turkish interference. Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) suspended payments to a French company manufacturing and laying the undersea cable in early March after it emerged that Turkish naval vessels were disrupting a survey ship’s work in international waters of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The 1,200 km cable would be the world’s longest. The electricity cooperation aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and energy imports by integrating more renewable energy sources and help the European Union reduce its dependence on Russian energy.
Athens and Nicosia hope Israel can influence the Trump administration to counter Turkey in addition to their own and European pressure on Ankara.