Athens slams Tripoli's declaration of a new border zone as illegal, reigniting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On January 17th, Greece wrote a letter to the United Nations, vehemently opposing Libya's recent move to define its maritime borders. The crux of the issue lies in the coordinates and map included in Libya's declaration, which Greece argues blatantly violates international law and the Law of the Sea.
Three key points fuel Greece's objection:
- Closing the Gulf of Sirte: Since 1974, Greece has adamantly opposed any attempt to restrict access to this strategically important gulf, a stance it maintains in this case.
- Controversial Straight Baselines: Libya's use of straight baselines to draw its maritime borders contradicts Greece's position since 2005, further escalating the legal battle.
- Shadow of the Illegal Turkish-Libyan Deal: Most concerning for Greece, the declared coordinates align perfectly with the contested maritime agreement signed between Turkey and Libya in 2019, an agreement Greece vehemently condemns as illegal.
Greece seized this opportunity to reiterate its long-held position: the Turkish-Libyan agreement holds no legal water, and any actions based on its coordinates are inherently invalid. Furthermore, Greece emphasized that this dispute does not infringe upon its own rights under international law and reiterated its unwavering commitment to resolving maritime disagreements in the Eastern Mediterranean through peaceful means and legal channels.
This simmering dispute between Greece and Libya adds another layer of tension to the already volatile Eastern Mediterranean region. Only time will tell how this latest episode unfolds, but one thing is clear: the battle for maritime dominance in these contested waters is far from over.
