The Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported on Monday that the Greek Oil Minister denies a report about the possibility of approving a maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya.
The newspaper cited the Greek Oil Minister as saying that the Libyan parliament, based in the eastern part of the country, is expected to ratify a maritime agreement with Turkey, and that Greek policy “is determined not by reports but by actions on the ground.”
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that the eastern Libyan House of Representatives is likely to approve the 2019 memorandum of understanding, which Greece considers illegal, in the coming weeks. The agreement, which defines maritime zones between the two countries despite the lack of adjacent coastlines, is still awaiting legislative ratification.
The newspaper noted that the Libyan government signed the agreement years ago, but Benghazi deputies have not yet ratified it. Recent steps toward rapprochement between Ankara and Benghazi are being closely watched.
In June, the European Council announced that the Libya-Turkey memorandum of understanding “violates the sovereign rights of third countries and does not comply with international law.”
Furthermore, the Council of the European Union considered the memorandum illegal and expressed its support for the positions of Greece and Cyprus, according to the newspaper.
