Greece and Egypt have reaffirmed their commitment to a landmark clean energy initiative that aims to connect North Africa to Europe via an undersea electricity cable capable of transmitting 3,000 megawatts of renewable energy. The announcement came Wednesday during bilateral talks in Athens between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, signaling growing cooperation between the two nations in the fields of energy, security, and regional diplomacy.
The proposed 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) subsea interconnection, known as the GREGY Interconnector, will run across the eastern Mediterranean Sea and is expected to become operational within five years. Backed by the European Union, the project is set to receive substantial EU funding under its strategy to diversify energy supplies and accelerate the green energy transition following the bloc’s reduced reliance on Russian fossil fuels after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“This will allow both Greece and Europe to import low-cost energy – primarily wind energy, which you are able to produce very competitively – and export it to Europe,” Mitsotakis said during joint remarks with el-Sissi. The €4 billion ($4.5 billion) project will transmit solar and wind-generated electricity produced in Egypt, with the involvement of private sector stakeholders, led by Greece’s Copelouzos Group. The infrastructure is designed to support Europe’s climate goals under the EU Green Deal, while providing a strategic outlet for Egypt’s burgeoning renewable energy sector.
President el-Sissi emphasized the geopolitical weight of the project. “It is not just a bilateral undertaking, but a strategic step with regional and international dimensions,” he said. “It is considered the first direct clean energy link from Egypt to Europe through Greece. We value the EU’s ongoing support for this ambitious endeavor.”
The European Commission has listed the interconnector as a Project of Common Interest (PCI), a designation that prioritizes projects with cross-border significance for funding and regulatory support. The initiative aligns with Brussels’ broader efforts to strengthen energy partnerships with non-EU countries, especially those offering stable, renewable alternatives. Beyond energy, the Athens summit also addressed critical regional and international issues. Both leaders discussed security cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, coordinated efforts to manage migration flows, and pathways for deepening Egypt’s institutional and economic integration with the EU.
“Greece is a steadfast ally of Egypt, including on matters concerning your country’s relationship with the European Union,” Mitsotakis said, highlighting Athens’ role as a bridge between Cairo and Brussels. The two nations also signed a series of agreements covering seasonal labor migration—allowing more Egyptian workers to take up employment in Greek agriculture—alongside memoranda on financial cooperation, defense coordination, and cultural exchange.
