Energy minister walks out of EAC meeting amid disagreement

Energy Minister George Papanastasiou on Saturday reportedly walked out of a meeting with senior officials from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC).

Reports soon emerged that the all-day meeting, which the minister had scheduled, swiftly unraveled with Papanastasiou understood to have strongly disagreed with the EAC’s insistence on keeping minutes of the meeting.

Gathered at the EAC office, Papanastasiou had hoped for a frank and free discussion on the energy sector, but Phileleftheros reported that the minister felt that the record keeping on part of the EAC would have prevented that.

The EAC soon issued an announcement saying that the meeting was cut short as the energy ministry’s team did not wish to follow protocols.

Papanastasiou, his deputies and other officials from the ministry then left the EAC building and carried out their own meeting back at the ministry.

Local media further reported that Saturday’s incident points to poor personal and professional relations within the EAC, which makes it difficult for cooperation between administrative and managerial staff.

It is understood that EAC-related trade unions have informed the board of their strong dissatisfaction with the current setup.

But the EAC later on Saturday issued a statement seeking to dispel the reports of bad blood within the organisation, adding that it was merely following established protocols.

It stated that there is “an excellent relationship and cooperation” between the EAC’s administration and management.

The EAC also said that as a public utility organisation which follows transparency measures, it keeps minutes of every meeting attended by members of the board of directors and management, along with state officials.

They further said that the EAC’s mission is to be the “solid pillar of Cyprus’ energy future, ensuring reliable electricity supply to all”.