Cypriot energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis has urged his Greek counterpart Giorgos Stathakis to support action that would ensure Greece’s energy-related support for Cyprus and prevent the island nation’s isolation in this sector.

Lakkotrypis, who expressed his appeal in a letter forwarded to the Greek energy minister following meetings and telephone discussions, is pushing for a solution that would resolve a dispute between Greek power grid operator IPTO and Euroasia Interconnector, a consortium of Cypriot interests heading a PCI-status project planned to link the Greek, Cypriot and Israeli power grids via Crete. The two sides have fought for control of the wider project’s Crete-Athens segment.

The wider project’s development is crucial for EU plans aiming to interconnect the Greek and Cypriot electricity markets and, by extension, the Cypriot and European markets.