ATHENS (ANA) – Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas on Thursday presented strategic plans for developing a new optic fibre network in Greece, as well as a Greek proposal for the inclusion of optic fibre cables in the EuroAsia Interconnector, to Cyprus Transport, Communications and Works Minister Marios Demetriades and the director-general of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Eli Groner, responsible for digital policy issues.

The meetings were held in Thessaloniki, alongside the Greece-Cyprus-Israel Trilateral Summit and the 3rd High-Level Greece-Israel Cooperation Council.

In earlier talks with Groner, Pappas said Greece has secured 400 million euros in Community funding for the project and also expects private-sector investment, while exploring the prospects of participation by Israeli firms. They further agreed to accelerate implementation of a cooperation agreement signed on May 7 for reducing the cost of mobile phone roaming charges in the two countries.

It was also decided that there should be a visit by an Israeli delegation to Athens to promote bilateral cooperation on issues relating to the use of public-sector archives and their availability to the public, followed by Greek delegation’s visit to Israel to promote cooperation on 5G, Internet of Things etc.

The minister noted that incorporating optic fibres in the EuroAsia Interconnector electricity cable that will link Greece, Cyprus and Israel will also help improve connections in telecommunications at one tenth of the cost.
There followed a meeting with Israel’s Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis focusing on space policy issues and the new Greek space agency.

Pappas and Groner were then joined by Demetriades for talks on upgrading the EuroAsia Interconnector to a telecoms link and facilitating contacts between local authorities in the three countries to exchange knowhow in developing “smart cities” applications.