Gerapetritis in Libya: Migration, Turkey Deal in Focus

Greece’s overseas minister, George Gerapetritis, began a caller circular of talks in Libya on Saturday, gathering officials successful Benghazi arsenic portion of Athens’ ongoing effort to reengage with the country’s rival powerfulness centers.

The visit comes 8 months aft his erstwhile trip to eastbound Libya successful July 2025 and is portion of a broader Greek strategy to support diplomatic channels with some sides successful the conflict-scarred nation, where powerfulness is fragmented and often concentrated extracurricular ceremonial state institutions.

Engaging eastbound Libya besides means dealing with Khalifa Haftar, the ascendant subject fig successful the country’s east, whose forces power cardinal territory, infrastructure and migration routes contempt his deficiency of a ceremonial nationalist enactment role. Previous attempts by European officials to unafraid nonstop entree to Haftar person astatine times been unsuccessful, underscoring the challenges of navigating Libya’s analyzable governmental landscape.

Migration Takes Center Stage

Gerapetritis opened his visit with talks with Khalifa Haftar, the ascendant subject fig successful eastbound Libya, joined by his sons.

He besides met with Khaled Haftar, main of staff of the Libyan National Army, arsenic portion of his broader contacts with eastbound Libyan leadership.

According to accusation from the discussions, some sides recovered communal crushed connected migration, arsenic Greece has seen accrued arrivals from Libya successful caller months. Officials successful Benghazi signaled a willingness to assistance curb the flows, contempt constricted resources connected the ground.

Talks focused connected improving onshore borderline controls and strengthening practice connected information-sharing, with Greece expected to lend much actively successful this area.

In nationalist remarks pursuing the meetings, Gerapetritis said practice connected irregular migration is expected to deepen further done the speech of expertise, arsenic well arsenic support successful instrumentality and infrastructure. He noted that Libya’s geographic presumption — successful a portion affected by struggle and instability — makes managing migration flows peculiarly challenging.

Linking Migration to Infrastructure Support

Migration was besides tied to broader infrastructure needs. The two sides agreed to rise the contented with the European Commission, with the purpose of securing factual monitoring and surveillance measures.

The treatment comes up of a planned visit by the applicable EU commissioner and three migration ministers, where specific steps are expected to beryllium finalized.

Trade, Investment and Bilateral Relations

Gerapetritis described the wide tone of his meetings with eastbound Libyan officials arsenic “very positive,” highlighting increasing bilateral ties.

He pointed to expanding trade relations and ongoing Greek investments successful eastbound Libya, stressing their value for some sides. “Libya is Greece’s closest state successful the Mediterranean,” helium said, underscoring the value of strengthening economical cooperation.

The Greek curate besides met with elder organization figures, including the caput of the parliamentary committee connected overseas affairs and resources, arsenic portion of efforts to broaden engagement beyond the subject leadership.

Clear Message connected Maritime Boundaries

Maritime zones were besides among the issues discussed.

Gerapetritis reiterated Greece’s long-standing presumption — successful enactment with planetary instrumentality and the Law of the Sea — that the Turkey-Libya memorandum is illegal, and stressed the request to forestall its ratification by Benghazi.

Greece besides made wide that it would not want to spot immoderate alteration successful eastbound Libya’s stance connected the memorandum.

At the aforesaid time, Gerapetritis said some sides highlighted the value of reaching an statement connected maritime delimitation betwixt Greece and Libya, peculiarly regarding the exclusive economical zone and the continental shelf.

Referring to the broader determination context, helium added that “based connected planetary law, it is important for neighboring countries — countries that stock the Mediterranean — to beryllium capable to cooperate.”

He besides noted that “especially successful highly hard times, with wars ongoing successful our portion and a Middle East that is successful turmoil, Greece and Libya indispensable support and further strengthen this level of cooperation.”

Greece Highlights Its Diplomatic Role

Greek officials underscored the scope of ways Athens tin support Libya, including done EU backing tools and its relation astatine the United Nations Security Council.

Greece besides positioned itself arsenic a credible intermediary with cardinal planetary players, including the United States, Egypt and the wider Arab world.

Gerapetritis stressed that Athens would not judge being presented with faits accomplis, warning that immoderate ratification of the disputed statement would lone deepen determination tensions.

He added that, astatine a clip of heightened instability successful the wider portion and ongoing conflicts successful the Middle East, person practice betwixt Greece and Libya is progressively important.

Greek Presence successful Benghazi

Gerapetritis besides referred to the reopening of Greece’s consulate wide successful Benghazi, noting that Greece is 1 of lone two countries maintaining such a diplomatic beingness successful the city.

He thanked the section Greek assemblage for its relation successful rebuilding the consulate, making special notation of assemblage person Kanakis Mandalios for his contribution.

The consulate gathering was constructed successful representation of Mandalios’ children, Filippos and Angela, who were killed successful September 2023 successful Derna while participating arsenic volunteers successful a Greek humanitarian ngo pursuing the devastation caused by Storm Daniel.

Source: tovima.com