Greece has rejected the Libyan House of Representatives’ approval of the 2019 Turkish-Libyan memorandum on maritime zone delimitation, declaring that the decision does not change the agreement’s “illegal, invalid and non-existent character” and warning that it will take all appropriate measures to safeguard its sovereign rights.
In a statement, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the memorandum as misleadingly presented and said it violates international law of the sea while infringing upon the sovereign rights of other states in the region.
“Geography and the International Law of the Sea do not change through unilateral, legally unfounded parliamentary decisions,” the ministry said.
Athens stressed that Türkiye and Libya do not have opposite or adjacent coastlines that would provide a legitimate legal basis for the maritime delimitation they seek to establish.
Greece also reiterated that the memorandum disregards Greek islands and their entitlement to maritime zones under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and customary international law.
The Foreign Ministry contrasted the Turkish-Libyan arrangement with Greece’s maritime delimitation agreements with Egypt and Italy, arguing that these agreements demonstrate Greece’s commitment to international law and respect for the sovereign rights of neighbouring states.
Athens called on Libya to “refrain from any action that contravenes international law and undermines stability in the Eastern Mediterranean”.
The ministry also confirmed that Greece had informed its partners and allies of the Libyan parliament’s decision and would take every appropriate measure to protect the country’s sovereign rights.
EU leaders reaffirm support for Greece and Cyprus
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed their opposition to the agreement in a joint statement issued the same day.
The two leaders said they “deeply regret” the Libyan parliament’s ratification of what they called the so-called Libyan-Türkiye Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean.
They recalled that the European Council had clearly stated the EU’s position on the matter in 2019 and confirmed that it remained unchanged.
“This agreement infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, it does not comply with the Law of the Sea, and is null and void,” the statement said.
Costa and von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and reiterated the bloc’s longstanding opposition to outside interference in Libya.
The Greek government’s response follows renewed regional and diplomatic attention to the disputed memorandum, which Türkiye and Libya signed in 2019 and which Greece and Cyprus have consistently challenged on international law grounds.
(Source: AMNA)
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