No permit has been requested from Turkey for the GSI, nor will one be requested, and there is no consultation between Greece and the Turkish authorities regarding the permitting or implementation of the project, said Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis in Athens on Monday.
When asked about the verbal note and the French briefing in Turkey, he replied that the verbal note from France is the mildest way to convey a message from one state to another and “does not imply recognition of maritime jurisdiction or the rights of third states.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“It is purely for the sake of navigational safety and has no legal effect, nor does it recognize any rights. It is crucial to make this distinction, once again, and this is not something we are saying in hindsight. And everything that is being circulated and written has no connection whatsoever, not only to reality but also to international law,” he said.
Mr. Marinakis said that following a positive opinion from the relevant Interministerial Committee for the Granting of Marine Research Permits, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis issued the decision last Friday authorizing the survey and cable-laying operations.
Subsequently, the research vessel requested the issuance of the required notice to mariners, known as a NAVTEX, for the execution of the work, which was issued.
“GSI is an interconnectivity project of of strategic importance for strengthening energy self-sufficiency, regional cooperation, and stability, which will contribute to peace and security in the wider region,” he reiterated.
Responding to questions, he said that Greece is exercising its rights and maritime jurisdiction in accordance with international law. “Our position is and remains clear: permission for the relevant operations was requested exclusively by the competent Greek and Cypriot authorities, period,” Mr. Marinakis emphasized.
In response to persistent questions about the verbal note, Mr. Marinakis stated that Turkey’s written notification does not, in practice, constitute a request for permission; is purely informational in nature, and it is clear that it does not constitute any such request—neither for a permit nor for consent.
“On the contrary, the French company’s request for authorization, with all that this entails for the French government as well, was submitted only to the Greek and Cypriot authorities, thereby recognizing their respective sovereign rights in the area. That is a very significant difference,” he emphasized.
When asked whether Athens is aware of the content of the French note verbale, he limited himself to saying that every action is carried out in full coordination with all parties involved, in accordance with the provisions of international law.
“And, I repeat, everything that has been done subsequently was done with full disclosure, publicly, in advance, obviously based on the wording that can be used, for security reasons regarding an energy project of the utmost importance, a European energy project,” he said.
In response to another question about whether there had been any communication between Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan following the issuance of the NAVTEX to prevent any tension, and whether there had been any U.S. intervention regarding the cable issue, he replied that “As far as Greece is concerned, there has been no intervention—not even a complaint—from any other third country, nor from the United States of America, regarding this specific project and the entire process.”
“I cannot say whether anything has occurred between the United States of America and any other country. As for the first point, I am not aware of any communication. In any case, this is an energy interconnection project.” “I repeat that I am not aware of any communication. In any case, we are talking about a Greece-Cyprus-France project, an energy interconnection project of European interest,” he said.
Mr. Marinakis said that on numerous occasions in recent weeks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has stated in interviews that a permit is one thing and a notification is another, which is required in such cases but has no legal effect.
“Some people have been ‘reinventing the wheel’ in recent days—whether from the political system or elsewhere—solely to make a splash. Not all issues are matters of partisan confrontation,” he emphasized.
Source: CNA
