Reality is recorded on the issue of the delimitation of marine zones between Greece and Libya.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Alexandra Papadopoulou, is travelling today to Tripoli, Libya for the second round of technical demarcation talks.
Ms Papadopoulou’s visit follows that of Giorgos Gerapetritis in the Libyan capital (27 April), during which the two sides underlined their readiness to continue talks on the delimitation of their respective EEZs on the basis of the International Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The delimitation with Libya, according to the Foreign Ministry, is a priority for Greece. The Turkish-Libyan memorandum signed by Angara and Tripoli in November 2019, although illegal, made the then “dormant” – but over time difficult – process of demarcation between Greece and Libya even more complicated.
Today’s talks will be held with officials of the (internationally recognized) government of Tripoli. However, according to Manifesto’s information, the Libyan delegation does not exclude the participation of interlocutors from the so-called “government” of Benghazi, the side of General Khalifa Haftar who rules Eastern Libya.
This pattern, moreover, seems to have been followed in the first round of talks held last September in Athens during the visit of Libya’s Foreign Minister, Taher Salem al-Baur.
According to the Athens reading, the possible participation of officials from Benghaziin the talks with Tripoli signals that there is a minimum understanding between the two sides in the North African country. However, this does not negate the fact that Athens will have (in addition to other) independent talks with Haftar on the EEZ.
