Gov't aiming to revive talks over DESFA deal with Socar, Snam

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to get directly involved in the privatization of Greece's natural gas grid operator DESFA in the next few days in a bid to end the impasse in the project. This will involve sidestepping Energy Minister Panos Skourletis, who does not see eye to eye with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (Socar), which is the chosen buyer, or Italian natural gas infrastructure company Snam, a candidate investor.

Under pressure from the country's creditors to wrap up the sell-off as soon as possible (given that Socar's letter of guarantee for the acquisition of 66 percent of DESFA expires at the end of September), the government will seek to restore communications with the Azeri side after this was interrupted due to Skourletis's poor handling of the deal.

Sources say that in the next few days Tsipras will ask Alekos Flambouraris, his...