Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has declared the maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya's eastern parliament "blatantly illegal, null and void," asserting that it "completely disregards the geography."
Speaking to Reuters as Greece concludes its presidency of the UN Security Council, Mitsotakis also appealed for an urgent "international truce" to safeguard shipping in the Black Sea, following the sinking of a Greek-owned container vessel. The maritime deal, approved by Libya's eastern parliament and subsequently condemned by Athens, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates as a threat to regional security, was criticized by Mitsotakis for ignoring the presence of Greek islands.
"It completely disregards the geography, the reality that there are Greek islands -- they seem to completely disappear in the thinking of Turkey and Libya," Mitsotakis stated, accusing the two parties of attempting to establish a "fait accompli" that violates the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has defended the agreement, originally made in 2019, asserting that international reactions lack legitimate basis.
In contrast to the Turkey-Libya deal, Greece has granted a license to a consortium led by Chevron for gas exploration off the island of Crete and is pursuing a separate demarcation agreement with Libya. Mitsotakis assured that these explorations would not face any challenges and urged Libya, as a "natural neighbor," to negotiate directly with Athens and approach discussions with utmost seriousness.
The Prime Minister's comments came shortly after a Greek container ship sank after being targeted by naval drones off Bulgaria, marking the latest in a series of attacks on vessels in the western Black Sea. Mitsotakis emphasized the critical role of Greek-operated ships in regional trade and called for an "international truce" to ensure the freedom of navigation and facilitate grain exports from the war-affected region. He noted that Greek shipowners would resume Black Sea trade, including from Ukraine, provided safe passage is guaranteed, highlighting the significant increase in shipping costs due to escalating chartering and insurance expenses.
Mitsotakis also advocated for the European Union to strengthen its naval mission, Operation Aspides, in the Red Sea to counter Houthi attacks and protect vital European trade routes. He stressed the need for increased participation and "hard assets" from member states to ensure regional security and send a clear message of commitment to Gulf countries.
Regarding sanctions on Russia, Mitsotakis reaffirmed Greece's support for economic measures against Moscow, stating, "We believe that we need to put economic pressure and impose more financial pain on Russia to send a very clear signal that as long as they prolong this war, they will suffer very specific economic consequences."
