Greece and Egypt have agreed in principle to resume talks on extending their 2020 maritime delimitation agreement east of the 28th meridian, as Libya’s eastern-based parliament ratifies the controversial Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, intensifying pressure on Athens’ diplomatic strategy.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reached the understanding during a telephone conversation on Thursday, agreeing to launch structured negotiations between technical committees to expand the existing delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones (EEZs).
The move comes amid growing criticism within Greece’s governing New Democracy party over the government’s handling of relations with Libya, with some critics describing the developments as a diplomatic defeat and directing their criticism at Gerapetritis.
New Democracy MP Dimitris Kalogeropoulos expressed his dissatisfaction with the developments in eastern Libya during an interview with Mega television. Although he later described his remarks as unfortunate, the episode highlighted concerns among critics that Greece’s diplomatic effort to rebuild relations with Libya had suffered a setback.
Athens and Cairo Reject Turkey-Libya Memorandum
Greece is now placing greater emphasis on its strategic partnership with Egypt and closer coordination over issues concerning Libya.
Following international reactions to the eastern Libyan parliament’s ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum, Athens and Cairo agreed to continue bilateral consultations aimed at extending their August 2020 maritime agreement east of the 28th meridian.
The two foreign ministers firmly rejected the ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum and stressed the importance of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
They also declared their commitment to continuing negotiations on expanding the geographical scope of the 2020 agreement irreversible.
The original agreement established a partial maritime boundary between Greece and Egypt west of the 28th meridian. The proposed extension would cover additional areas to the east, potentially including waters around Kastellorizo.
The existing agreement recognises the maritime influence of Greek islands, including Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes, in the area it covers. Any extension would require further bilateral negotiations to determine the precise boundaries.
Greek officials have also indicated that diplomatic reactions from international partners, allies and institutions may continue. Athens intends to use the available diplomatic tools to challenge the Turkey-Libya memorandum and seek consequences for the parties involved.
US Calls for Negotiations, Avoids Condemnation
The US State Department has not issued a direct condemnation of the eastern Libyan parliament’s ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum.
Instead, a State Department spokesperson told ERTnews that Washington encourages its Eastern Mediterranean partners to resolve maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations.
“Resolving maritime issues serves the interests of every side and opens the way for commercial investment and exploration that will benefit the entire Mediterranean region,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also urged Greece and Turkey to address their differences through bilateral dialogue, noting that both countries belong to NATO.
“Greece and Turkey are both NATO allies. We encourage them to engage bilaterally to address any areas of disagreement,” the spokesperson added.
Washington’s response places the emphasis on negotiations rather than endorsing either side’s position, while Greece seeks to strengthen its coordination with Egypt following the latest developments in Libya.
(Source: Ta Nea)
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