Greece and a wary Cyprus to discuss electric cable project

The governments of Greece and Cyprus will meet on September 10 in a last-ditch attempt to salvage a multi-billion euro electric cable project, which if completed, would be the world's longest linking Europe to the Middle East.

The Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) seeks to link the transmission networks of Greece via Crete to Cyprus and eventually Israel in a project costing 2.4 billion euros.

On completion, it will be the longest, at 1,240 km, and deepest, at 3,000 metres, high voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnector in the world.

Tuesday's meeting will attempt to clarify any lingering concerns in Nicosia about the total cost of the project, its viability and what Cyprus would pay towards it, government officials said.

It comes against a backdrop of warnings contractors could reconsider their participation unless Cyprus takes a decision soon, and also...