What the start of dialogue with Libya on EEZ delimitation means – The positions of Athens and Tripoli

The archetypal measurement successful a process that is expected to beryllium arduous and of uncertain result was taken yesterday, with the motorboat of discussions connected the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) betwixt Greece and Libya. The gathering took spot successful Athens betwixt the overseas ministers of the 2 countries, Giorgos Gerapetritis and Taher Salem Al Baour.

According to the connection of Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou, “the 2 ministers declared the commencement of the process for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone betwixt Greece and Libya. In this context, the archetypal league of the method committees was held. It was agreed that the adjacent gathering volition instrumentality spot successful Tripoli.”

Notably absent from this archetypal league was Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou, caput of the Greek negotiating team, who arrived yesterday successful Washington. Still, it was decided determination was nary crushed to hold the motorboat of the process. Representing Greece were the governmental manager of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador A. Fryganas; the caput of the A6 Directorate, F. Georgakakis; and 2 members of the Special Legal Service, Alexandros Kolliopoulos and Aliki Gkana.

After the archetypal gathering of the 2 delegations, the 2 ministers held a backstage discussion, portion the archetypal gathering of the negotiating teams took spot successful parallel, lasting implicit an hour. This was followed by talks betwixt the expanded delegations.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Giorgos Gerapetritis emphasized the request to respect planetary law, including the Law of the Sea, and reiterated the Greek and European presumption that the Turkey–Libya memorandum is null and void.

Sources indicated that the gathering of the method teams was exploratory, aiming to measure each side’s positions and whether immoderate changes had occurred since the past circular of talks successful 2010–2011. Since then, of course, the scenery has changed importantly — astir notably with Tripoli’s signing of the Turkey–Libya memorandum.

The Benghazi question

Another superior contented is however Benghazi will beryllium progressive successful this dialogue, since the Haftar camp does not admit the Dbeibah authorities nor considers itself bound by the agreements it has signed. Up to now, Eastern Libya’s rejection of the Turkey–Libya memorandum has rested connected 2 arguments: that it was ne'er ratified by parliament, and that the interim authorities lacked the legitimacy to motion specified agreements.

This whitethorn change, however, owed to unit from Turkey connected Benghazi arsenic good arsenic Haftar’s intent not to look “conceding” to Greece astatine this captious juncture.

Positions of Athens and Tripoli

At the commencement of the process, Greece regards arsenic non-negotiable the rule that discussions indispensable screen the entirety of the EEZ betwixt the 2 countries, including the country encompassed by the Turkey–Libya memorandum. Moreover, if nary statement is reached, Greece’s purpose is for the quality — including the memorandum — to beryllium referred successful its entirety to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice successful The Hague, truthful that the Court whitethorn besides regularisation connected the memorandum’s legality.

Libya, connected the different hand, believes that this process should undo the fait accompli created by Greece with the delineation of the median enactment nether Law 4001/2011.

Both Athens and Tripoli person already made their diametrically opposed positions connected the contented public, done letters submitted to the United Nations since 2019. Over the past 3 months successful particular, Libya has been accused of arbitrarily interpreting the Law of the Sea, aligning with Turkish arguments, contempt the information that Libya — dissimilar Turkey — has signed the UN Convention connected the Law of the Sea.

According to reports, the Libyan overseas curate showed peculiar eagerness to statesman talks. This is seen arsenic a effect some of Greece’s moves to delineate and licence offshore blocks west, southwest, and southbound of Crete, and of Tripoli’s tendency to look conciliatory toward the EU and Greece, which carries important value successful Libyan affairs owed to its spot connected the UN Security Council.

Broader bilateral relations

During the talks astatine the Greek Foreign Ministry, bilateral issues were besides addressed, pursuing up connected Gerapetritis’s caller sojourn to Tripoli. Cooperation was discussed connected migration — with Greece expressing readiness to proceed grooming members of the Libyan seashore defender — arsenic good arsenic successful the areas of economy, energy, transport, and construction.

The 2 ministers besides expressed readiness to motorboat a nonstop aerial transportation betwixt Athens and Tripoli and agreed connected the enactment of a Greek concern ngo to Tripoli successful the autumn.