Athens wary of possible Turkey-Libya deal
The prospect of an agreement between Turkey and Libya whereby the North African country would award an exploration license to Turkish companies on the basis of a controversial 2019 maritime border deal between the two countries, which is contested by Greece and Cyprus, has raised concern in Athens.
According to diplomatic sources Monday, such a concession agreement between Libya and Turkey will prompt an official reaction from Greece which will not tolerate a violation of the 2020 deal it signed with Egypt. That agreement designates an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the eastern Mediterranean between the two states, an area which contains promising oil and gas reserves.
Greece will defend its sovereign rights on the basis of international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the sources said.
The country’s allies and partners are being briefed on the issue, they said.
The issue was also broached during a meeting Monday between Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and French Ambassador to Greece Patrick Maisonnave, the Foreign Ministry tweeted.
MAE @NikosDendias a rencontré aujourd'hui l’Ambassadeur de #France #Patrick_Maisonnave au Ministère des Affaires étrangères afin de discuter les développements en Méditerranée orientale & en Libye https://t.co/01nrxZOOYV
— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) October 3, 2022
