On Wednesday, during the visit to our country by the acting Foreign Minister, Taher Al-Baour, the commencement of negotiations between Greece and Libya for the delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) between the two countries is expected to be announced. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, in yesterday’s radio interview on SKAI, mentioned that possibly within October, the committees established for this purpose by both sides may begin technical negotiations. “There is expressed will from the government in western Libya to start these discussions,” he stated characteristically.
On behalf of Greece, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou has been appointed as head of the said committee, as announced, assisted by legal and technical advisors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This development could lead to joint decisions either for the designation of maritime zones, or in case of disagreement, to an appeal to The Hague, where the issue will be resolved based on International Law and the Law of the Sea, as both countries respect and accept the relevant provisions.
Athens will follow the same procedure with Benghazi as with Tripoli in Libya for EEZ delimitation
The same procedure – with the establishment of technical committees – is expected to be followed with the government based in Benghazi, as Athens has restored diplomatic contacts with Khalifa Haftar’s headquarters, following the visit of Belkasem Haftar to our country. “There has been no development regarding the ratification of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, although there is the anticipated pressure, and we are constantly developing our relations with both sides,” Giorgos Gerapetritis emphasized in the same interview.
However, Athens, with the response it sent to the UN on September 3, refutes the North African country’s claims that it violated its sovereign rights. According to its response communication, Athens rejects Tripoli’s claim that the Median Line should be drawn based on the continental coasts of the two countries, without taking into account the effect of islands, such as Crete. It should be noted that Turkey uses this Libyan claim as its permanent position, which, as proven, attempts to impose it throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. With the same logic, Greece rejects the Turkish-Libyan memorandum to the UN, once again, as invalid and illegal. The presence of American company Chevron in the maritime blocks south of Crete is expected to play a significant role in the delimitation of maritime zones, as it has expressed interest in maritime sections that belong to Libya’s jurisdiction.
