Greece to Answer Libya’s Maritime Claims

Greece is set to respond to Libya’s recent diplomatic notes with strong legal arguments, diplomatic sources said Tuesday. While such notes have no immediate legal effect, Athens sees value in an official reply, especially for future legal disputes, CE Report quotes Athens-Macedonia

Officials criticized Libya’s maritime maps as inconsistent with international law, particularly for treating Crete differently from Malta. The issue largely stems from the 2019 Türkiye-Libya maritime memorandum, which Greece rejects as invalid due to the lack of opposing coastlines.

Greece also noted that major energy companies, like Chevron, would not proceed with hydrocarbon exploration without legal clarity. Despite Libya's claims, its recognition of the median line in exploration zones was seen as a positive sign.

Migration flows from Eastern Libya have surged, and Greece plans to raise the issue at the EU level. Diplomats clarified there’s no link between Greece and the delay of an EU mission in Libya.

Greece continues dialogue with both Libyan sides and rejects any “faits accomplis” resulting from the Türkiye-Libya memorandum.

Separately, the Greece-Türkiye High-Level Cooperation Council is expected in September. A senior official emphasized the need to keep dialogue open despite unresolved issues, ongoing airspace violations, and migration pressures. Peace, they stressed, hinges on future maritime delimitation—though no breakthrough is expected soon.