希腊周四表示，这个由欧盟支持的海底电力电缆项目的开发商已申请恢复海底勘测工作的许可。海底勘测是该项目能否顺利推进的关键步骤。
Greece said on Thursday the developer of an EU-backed undersea power cable scheme in the eastern Mediterranean has applied for a licence to resume seabed surveying, key for the long-delayed project to move ahead.
“Great Sea Interconnector”（GSI）项目的建设旨在将欧洲大陆与塞浦路斯连接起来，未来还计划延伸至以色列，但该项目遭到了土耳其的反对。
Construction of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) aims to link the European mainland to Cyprus and later Israel, but is opposed by Turkey.
美国国务卿马科·卢比奥上周在雅典表示，美国对该项目“非常支持”，因为该项目有助于实现能源供应的多元化；鉴于俄罗斯在乌克兰的战争以及霍尔木兹海峡的紧张局势，能源供应的多元化显得尤为重要。
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Athens last week said the US was "very committed" to the project as it promotes energy supply diversification, necessary due to Russia's war in Ukraine and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
希腊的电力电网运营商IPTO（ADMr.AT）负责该项目的实施。该项目耗资19亿欧元（约合21.3亿美元），电缆施工由法国公司Nexans（NEXS.PA）负责。希腊政府发言人帕夫洛斯·马里纳基斯周四向记者透露，Nexans已代表GSI项目申请了希腊方面的勘测许可。
Greece's power grid operator IPTO (ADMr.AT) is developing the €1.9 billion ($2.13 billion) scheme. French company Nexans (NEXS.PA), the cable contractor, has on behalf of the GSI applied for a Greek permit to survey the seabed, Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis told reporters on Thursday.
由于希腊与土耳其在电缆铺设海域问题上存在争议，该项目的进展一直十分缓慢。希腊方面希望尽快恢复海底勘测工作以确定电缆的铺设路线；但土耳其认为，这一行动需要两国事先进行协调——因为该海域受2019年希腊与利比亚签署的海上协议管辖，而希腊方面拒绝了土耳其的这一要求。
Progress on the project has been slow amid a dispute between Greece and Turkey over the maritime area that will be designated for laying down the cable. Greece hopes to resume seabed surveying to determine the route soon, a move Turkey says would need prior coordination between the two countries as it crosses an area under a 2019 maritime deal with Libya, which Athens has rejected.
马里纳基斯表示，勘测工作将由一艘法国船只执行，具体时间将在负责审批希腊海域内海洋研究活动的政府委员会以及希腊海岸警卫队批准相关申请后确定。
Marinakis said surveying will be carried out by a French ship and would start after a Greek ministerial committee in charge of permitting marine research in Greek maritime zones and the Greek coast guard approve the request.
“在项目实施方面，希腊仅与法国和塞浦路斯两国的相关部门进行了协调——这是显而易见的事实，”马里纳基斯说。
"With regards to the project implementation, Greece has not made arrangements with the authorities of any state other than France and Cyprus — which is the obvious case," Marinakis said.
卢比奥上周还表示，美国将通过外交手段努力消除该项目可能遇到的任何障碍。
Rubio said last week that the US will use diplomacy to try to remove any possible hurdles.