Greece energy and defense security focus amid US dialogue and GSI debates

Developments regarding regional security and energy infrastructure in Greece are central to upcoming diplomatic discussions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Athens for the 6th Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, where defense, energy, and regional security will be primary topics. Key areas of interest include the Petrochori firing range in Xanthi and energy hubs in Alexandroupoli and Komotini, potentially expanding the US footprint under the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA).

Simultaneously, the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) project, designed to link the electrical grids of Greece and Cyprus, is facing scrutiny. Discussions involve the legalities of underwater cable laying under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). While UNCLOS Article 79 grants states the right to lay cables on the continental shelf, debates persist regarding the necessity of notifying Turkey. Some political figures have criticized the potential for such notifications to be perceived as an acknowledgment of Turkish jurisdiction, while legal experts note that the obligation to not impede cable maintenance is a rule of customary international law that binds non-signatories like Turkey.