Greece has formally challenged the legal validity of the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum at the United Nations, warning that its ratification by Libya’s parliament does not change its status under international law.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Greece’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Aglaia Balta, reiterated Athens’ position that the 2019 agreement between Turkey and Libya is invalid and cannot produce legal effects against third states.
The diplomatic intervention comes after Libya’s House of Representatives ratified the memorandum, prompting Greece to intensify its efforts to challenge the agreement internationally.
Athens is seeking to prevent Turkey and Libya from using the ratification to strengthen their claims over maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Greece Challenges Memorandum at United Nations
According to diplomatic sources cited by Greek media, Balta’s letter stresses that the Turkish-Libyan memorandum contradicts the principles of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Greece maintains that the agreement cannot establish legally binding maritime boundaries affecting the rights of other countries.
Athens argues that Turkey and Libya do not have opposite or adjacent coastlines that would provide a valid legal basis for the maritime delimitation outlined in the memorandum.
The Greek government has repeatedly described the agreement as illegal, invalid and without legal standing, arguing that it disregards the maritime rights of Greek islands in the region.
Balta also raised the issue at the UN Security Council, highlighting Greece’s concerns over the potential consequences for stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Although Greece holds the Security Council presidency for October, Balta made her intervention in her national capacity.
‘Geography Does Not Change’
Greece has reiterated that the ratification of the memorandum by Libya’s parliament does not alter its legal status.
The Greek position is that international maritime boundaries must be determined in accordance with international law, rather than through unilateral political decisions.
Athens has also stressed that the law of the sea cannot be rewritten to accommodate the interests of individual states.
The dispute centres on the 2019 maritime memorandum signed by Turkey and the internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Libya. The agreement established a claimed maritime boundary between the two countries across an area where Greece argues that its islands, particularly Crete, have maritime entitlements that cannot be ignored.
Greece and other regional actors have challenged the agreement, arguing that it disregards the geographical position and maritime rights of Greek islands.
Greece Pursues Talks With Libya and Egypt
Alongside its diplomatic challenge at the United Nations, Greece is pursuing negotiations with regional partners to strengthen its position on maritime boundaries.
Athens says it has approached Libyan authorities in good faith and remains willing to begin substantive discussions on delimiting maritime zones in accordance with international law.
Greece is also moving forward with Egypt on expanding the geographical scope of their existing Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) agreement.
On Thursday, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty agreed to begin consultations on extending the 2020 Greece-Egypt EEZ delimitation agreement.
The two ministers reaffirmed that discussions would be based on international law and UNCLOS.
Signed in August 2020, the existing agreement established a partial maritime boundary between Greece and Egypt between the 26th and 28th meridians.
The agreement recognises the maritime influence of Greek islands, including Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes, in the delimitation of the continental shelf and EEZ.
Any expansion of the agreement would form part of Greece’s broader effort to establish maritime boundaries through bilateral negotiations and internationally recognised legal principles.
For Athens, the parallel diplomatic efforts with Libya and Egypt are intended to reinforce its position that maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean must respect international law and the rights of states in the region.
Source: Greek media reports and statements attributed to Greek diplomatic sources.
The post Greece Challenges Turkish-Libyan Memorandum at UN appeared first on Greek City Times.