Cyprus has approached the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for possible cooperation on a European Union–funded subsea electricity cable project that aims to connect Europe with the eastern Mediterranean, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday.

The project, estimated at €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion), intends to link Greece with Cyprus and later Israel. If completed, it would become the world’s longest and deepest high-voltage subsea cable, stretching 1,240 kilometers (770 miles) and reaching depths of 3,000 meters.

As reported in Reuters, Christodoulides highlighted Cyprus’s political commitment to the initiative, noting recent discussions with the UAE. “I met with the president of the country precisely to discuss this issue and to consider the possibility of a joint partnership … to invest in other areas related to this project,” he told reporters.

The remarks followed comments by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urging Cyprus to clarify its stance on the project amid recent scrutiny. European prosecutors announced last week that they had launched an investigation into potential criminal offences connected to the cable.

Construction is led by Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO), which took over in late 2023 from a Cyprus-based developer that had overseen the effort for nearly a decade.

While Cyprus says it backs the project, officials in Nicosia have repeatedly sought assurances about its overall cost, viability, and potential liabilities for delays that have slowed progress.