The US State Department has called for good-faith negotiations to resolve maritime disputes, responding to a question about the eastern-based Libyan House of Representatives’ ratification of the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum.
The US State Department did not explicitly comment on the memorandum’s legality or the Libyan parliament’s decision. Instead, it highlighted the benefits of resolving maritime disputes for investment and exploration across the region, while encouraging Greece and Turkey to address their differences bilaterally.
“We encourage our partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to resolve their maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations,” the department said.
“Resolving maritime issues serves the interests of all sides and opens the way for commercial investment and exploration that will benefit the entire Mediterranean region,” it added.
Addressing relations between Athens and Ankara, the State Department noted that “Greece and Turkey are both NATO allies” and encouraged the two countries to hold bilateral discussions to address any disagreements.
The Libyan House of Representatives approved the 2019 maritime delimitation memorandum between Turkey and Libya on 20 October. Greece rejected the decision, arguing that the memorandum violates international maritime law and infringes on the sovereign rights of countries in the region.
The European Union also expressed strong dissatisfaction with the ratification. In a statement issued on 21 October on behalf of the EU, the High Representative reiterated that the memorandum violates the sovereign rights of third countries, conflicts with the law of the sea and cannot produce legal consequences for third countries.
(Source: AMNA)
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