Diplomatic fever in the Mediterranean: Greece’s Chevron card and Malta’s “no” to Libya

Libya has opened fronts not lone with Greece but besides with different neighboring countries, aft the Tripoli authorities decided to unilaterally taxable to the UN the outer limits of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which it delineates based connected the Turkey–Libya Memorandum, arsenic good arsenic the statement granting offshore blocks to the Turkish institution TPAO — blocks which of people interruption the sovereign rights of neighboring countries.

Following Greece’s reactions — including its 2nd enactment verbale to the UN connected September 3 (see the letter) — and Egypt’s, Malta has present besides powerfully reacted. Malta, which has a past of litigation with Libya astatine The Hague and a 1985 ruling connected maritime boundaries, has issued 2 ceremonial diplomatic protests, calling Tripoli to dialogue. Interestingly, Tripoli’s interim overseas minister, Taher Salem Al Baour, rushed to Malta, and aft talks with the government, it was agreed to statesman negotiations connected pending maritime portion issues. They adjacent near unfastened the anticipation of third-party information successful the talks, pointing to Italy successful the eastbound and Tunisia successful the west.

On Monday, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis met with Belgacem Haftar, lad of the almighty antheral of Eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar. On Wednesday, a gathering is besides expected with Tripoli’s interim overseas minister, Taher Salem Al Baour.

Al Baour volition beryllium successful Athens this Wednesday, returning the sojourn Gerapetritis had earlier made to Tripoli. This creates an important accidental for Athens to propulsion for the motorboat of the archetypal circular of negotiations betwixt the 2 countries connected maritime bound delimitation.

Greece’s leverage is greater, since the licensing of 2 offshore blocks southbound of Crete, successful which the American vigor elephantine Chevron is entering, creates a superior fait accompli against Libya’s claims nether the Turkey–Libya Memorandum.

By provoking tensions not lone with 2 EU subordinate states — Greece and Malta — but besides with its strongest neighbor, Egypt, Tripoli is opening fronts it intelligibly cannot manage. Especially now, arsenic governmental colony efforts are peaking, the Libyan authorities cannot spend isolation from the EU oregon an unfastened clash with a imperishable UN Security Council member.

Despite the constricted spot toward some Libyan sides, the existent infinitesimal whitethorn beryllium favorable for the commencement of negotiations, perchance adjacent for recourse to The Hague, wherever unit would inevitably see examining the legality of the Turkey–Libya Memorandum.

Malta’s reaction
In its archetypal enactment verbale, Malta wholly rejects the representation and coordinates submitted by Tripoli to the UN connected May 27, arsenic they encroach upon Malta’s continental support and EEZ.

Libya, acting unilaterally connected some sides of the delimitation enactment established by the International Court of Justice successful 1985, shifted the median enactment northward astatine Malta’s expense. Malta’s diplomatic enactment stresses that Libya applied the median enactment method betwixt continental coasts, thereby distorting the delimitation — ignoring islands, arsenic successful the Turkey–Libya Memorandum. Notably, by doing so, Libya avoided creating friction with its adjacent state Italy, since it treats Sicily arsenic portion of continental Italy.

Malta besides powerfully objects to Tripoli’s signifier of closing the Gulf of Sirte and calls connected Libya to instrumentality to the baseline established backmost successful 1973.

Malta’s 2nd enactment verbale came aft the July statement betwixt Libya’s NOC and Turkey’s TPAO, which granted 4 blocks to the Turkish institution for exploration. Malta demands that the information of Block 1 overlapping its continental support and EEZ beryllium excluded from the deal, and that nary geological oregon geophysical surveys instrumentality spot successful that section. It besides declares that nary marine technological probe tin beryllium conducted successful its EEZ oregon continental support without Malta’s consent.

Of peculiar interest: successful some Malta’s and Egypt’s case, the blocks delineated by Libya — and reportedly granted to Turkey’s TPAO — interruption maritime delimitations with those countries (though nary agreements exist). By contrast, successful narration to Greece, Libya drew each its blocks on the median enactment defined by Law 4001/2011.

Texts of Malta’s Notes Verbales

Note Verbale No. 1767/2025 (Valletta, 18 August 2025):
“… The Ministry wishes to respectfully enactment that parts of the continental support claimed by Libya successful the aforementioned enactment verbale encroach upon Malta’s continental support and EEZ … The 1985 ICJ judgement constricted delimitation betwixt 13° 50’ and 15° 10’ meridians. Under UNCLOS, Malta is entitled to continental support and EEZ eastbound and westbound of that country … Libya’s unilateral attack violates planetary law, including UNCLOS Articles 74 and 83 … The Government of Malta cannot judge Tripoli’s assertion that the Gulf of Sirte constitutes Libyan interior waters … Malta reiterates its willingness to negociate with Libya to scope a just colony nether planetary law.”

Note Verbale Ref:102/2025/LY (Tripoli, 9 July 2025):
“… The MoU betwixt Libya’s NOC and Turkey’s TPAO signed connected 25 June 2025 grants the Turkish institution rights to behaviour surveys successful 4 offshore areas … One of these (Area 1) overlaps Malta’s continental support and EEZ … Malta requests that this information beryllium excluded from the MoU and that nary surveys instrumentality spot determination … Malta further insists that nary marine technological probe tin beryllium carried retired successful its EEZ oregon continental support without its consent … Malta invites Libya to unfastened discussions to resoluteness overlapping claims nether planetary law.”