Nicosia, Cyprus. Opposition MPs criticised the government on Tuesday for failing to provide clear answers on the status of the LNG import project at Vasiliko, with warnings that costs could rise to €1 billion. The parliamentary discussion grew tense as officials withheld information about the stalled project.
Dispute over information disclosure
The session became abrasive when the chairman of Etyfa, the state-run natural gas infrastructure company, refused to disclose details about ongoing payments made to the government’s consultants on the LNG import project.
Etyfa head Giorgos Ashikalis also declined to provide information about a status report being compiled by Technip, the government’s technical consultants for the project.
Ashikalis told the House energy committee he would not share the information, citing previous leaks of confidential material to the media that he said harmed the government’s interests in arbitration proceedings in London against the former Chinese-led contractor.
Project left in limbo after contractor exit
The Chinese-led consortium left the project in July 2024, leaving the LNG development in limbo.
During the meeting, committee chair Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis (Disy) threatened to suspend proceedings but was persuaded by other MPs not to do so.
Energy minister declines to give timetable
The session was attended by new Energy Minister Michalis Damianos, who faced his first questioning by MPs on the LNG project.
Damianos declined to offer even a tentative completion timeline, saying the government was seeking a way to finish the project and would return at the next committee meeting with answers to specific questions.
He attributed part of the delays to red tape and cumbersome public procurement processes.
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