Greece and Libya Begin Talks on Exclusive Economic Zone Demarcation

Libya and Greece person started talks for the demarcation of an EEZ betwixt the 2 countries. Photo of lipid exploration platform. Credit: Cipiota / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed connected Sunday that talks person begun for the demarcation of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) betwixt Greece and Libya.

An statement connected the EEZ would lick the ongoing maritime dispute betwixt the 2 countries, which is wherefore Greece had invited Libya to talks successful July.

The commencement of the demarcation process comes conscionable twenty-four hours aft the announcement of the information of US vigor elephantine Chevron successful the planetary contention for the 4 offshore blocks southbound of Crete and the Peloponnese and the wide designation by the US of the vigor and geopolitical value of Greece successful the Eastern Mediterranean, Mitsotakis stressed successful his play update connection connected Facebook.

Greece Libya method committees commencement works

The archetypal gathering of the method committees of Greece and Libya for the demarcation of an EEZ betwixt the 2 countries was held successful Athens, and the adjacent 1 volition beryllium held successful Tripoli, the Greek Premier said.

“We inactive person a agelong mode to spell until we scope an agreement, but this is simply a affirmative improvement for Greece successful narration to our neighboring country,” Mitsotakis commented.

In an evident hint to the caller diplomatic tensions betwixt the 2 countries, pursuing Libya’s maritime claims successful the Eastern Mediterranean, the Greek Prime Minister added that “the way to broader determination stableness lies done agreements betwixt genuinely neighboring countries, based connected International Law, and not done arbitrary and non-existent memoranda.”

Libya’s maritime claims successful Eastern Mediterranean leads to quality with Greece

A maritime quality betwixt Greece and Libya stems from conflicting claims implicit their respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and continental shelves successful the Mediterranean Sea.

At the bosom of the quality is the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) betwixt Turkey and the then-Government of National Accord (GNA, predecessor to the GNU). This MoU mapped retired a immense oversea country that disregards the beingness and maritime rights of Greek islands, including Crete and Rhodes, efficaciously establishing a corridor betwixt Turkey and Libya.

Last August, Greece formally rejected each allegations made by the transitional authorities of Libya regarding maritime claims successful the Eastern Mediterranean. In a statement submitted to the UN, Greece reaffirmed its position, grounding its arguments successful planetary instrumentality and existing agreements with neighboring countries.