Kastellorizo Key to Greece's Maritime Rights, Dendias Affirms

Kastellorizo, Greece - Defense Minister Nikos Dendias celebrated the 81st anniversary of Kastellorizo's liberation on Friday, highlighting the small island's outsized importance to Greece's maritime sovereignty.

Speaking on the remote eastern island, Dendias stressed that Kastellorizo plays a "crucial role" in defining Greece's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf. He underscored that this position is not up for debate, stating it is "clear and fully supported" by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Dendias directly addressed attempts to diminish Kastellorizo's significance due to its proximity to the Turkish coast. He categorized any effort to treat the island differently or separate it from the Dodecanese archipelago as "unfounded claims" that contradict international law.

"Article 121, Paragraph 2 of the Convention grants islands, regardless of their size, territorial waters, contiguous zones, EEZ and continental shelves," Dendias stated, emphasizing that this applies to Kastellorizo as part of the Megisti complex. He asserted that Greece has a "constitutional obligation" to defend its maritime rights under UNCLOS and warned that accepting any violation would create a dangerous precedent, challenging international maritime law.