“The price of heating oil is almost 60–65% higher than last year. If there is no de-escalation, then you should expect the government as a whole to take certain specific measures,” said Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastaurou in an interview on SKAI, responding to a question about price forecasts for the upcoming winter season.
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Stavros Papastaurou: “You cannot change geopolitical developments”
Speaking in greater detail, Stavros Papastaurou stated: “We are monitoring developments on a daily basis. We have proven in the past, and in practice, that whenever it was necessary — and right now, with these prices, we are clearly heading in that direction — we support society and leave no one behind. The price of heating oil is almost 60–65% higher than last year. If there is no de-escalation, then you should expect the government as a whole to take certain specific measures.”
Regarding motor fuels, he noted that “the measures that were in place in August and September will be reviewed, and we need to wait for some developments there as well.” He added: “You can build a buffer, but you cannot change geopolitical developments. What you can and must do is limit the impact they have on all citizens.”
The Greece–Cyprus–Israel electricity interconnection
On the topic of the Greece–Cyprus–Israel electricity interconnection project, Papastaurou emphasized: “We have a project in which the Meridiam Group — which knows the business — has come on board, we have the American side recognizing it, and we of course also have the connection with Israel, which effectively brings the entire Eastern Mediterranean into the interconnection. The Turks are asking that their permission be sought. That is never going to happen. There is no legal basis whatsoever to request permission — it is not provided for under international law, nor under the Law of the Sea.
Cables are being laid across the world, because interconnections are currently the most critical component in the energy sector. So, categorically, there is no chance that we — or anyone else from our country — will seek permission from the Turkish side. Any notification relates to how the project will move forward, but notification is obviously very different from requesting permission for something to which they are not entitled.”
