A request for the issuance of a Navtex has been submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by ADMIE, according to reliable sources, in order to resume seabed surveys east of Kasos and Karpathos for the installation of the Crete–Cyprus–Israel electricity interconnection cable. This move signals the return of the two research vessels nearly 40 days after the project was abruptly halted.

Following a diplomatic and political marathon in recent days—culminating in negotiations between the regulatory authorities of Greece and Cyprus, and the Greek Ministry of Environment—the conditions now appear ripe for the resumption of the surveys. These had been unexpectedly suspended on February 28, when Greece decided to withhold a €36 million installment due to Nexans, the cable’s manufacturer. This figure does not include the additional costs incurred by the two-month inactivity of the vessels, which is estimated at around €20 million.

The manufacturer of the cable has played a decisive role in shaping developments related to the Great Sea Interconnector project. Its demands for the continuation of the project exerted significant pressure on the Greek side to find an immediate solution. High-level discussions have since taken place between Greece, France, and Israel regarding the project’s restart and its protection from geopolitical risks.

The guarantees received by the Greek Prime Minister during his recent trips to Paris, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, and to Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, support this direction.

ADMIE’s request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be forwarded to the Hydrographic Service of the Hellenic Navy under the Ministry of National Defence. The service will then define the survey map, which will guide the operations of the research vessels.

This development is of critical geostrategic importance for the major power interconnection. Should everything proceed as planned, the ships could return to the Aegean Sea within the next few days. However, their availability remains a prerequisite, with sources noting that one of the vessels—Revoli Relume—is currently anchored in the Netherlands.