The significance of the European Union’s announcement regarding the ratification by the Libyan Parliament of the Turkey-Libya memorandum became unmistakably clear the moment Ursula von der Leyen tagged António Costa on platform X. The President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council issued a joint statement declaring that the agreement violates the sovereign rights of third-party states and is null and void. They also recalled that the European Council’s position on the matter, as stated in 2019, has not changed and remains unaltered.
The joint statement by Von der Leyen and Costa
We deeply regret the ratification today by the Libyan Parliament of the so-called Libyan-Turkish Agreement of Principles on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea. We recall that the EU’s position on this matter was clearly stated by the European Council in 2019 and remains unchanged. This agreement violates the sovereign rights of third-party states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea, and is null and void. We reaffirm our solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. We reiterate the EU’s well-known position against any external interference in Libya.
We deeply regret the ratification today by the Libyan Parliament of the so-called Libyan-Türkiye Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea.
We recall that the EU’s position on this matter was clearly stated by the… pic.twitter.com/f1XIX8HCRk
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 20, 2026
