The Snake Keeper Blog

Egypt and Greece are in conflict with Turkey, which inasuated the two countries last year by signing a maritime delimitation agreement with Libya`s internationally recognized government, leading to an escalation of disputes over potential offshore gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has long resisted efforts by various countries to exclude them from their legitimate maritime justice, denied the longest coastline in the eastern Mediterranean. He stressed that the agreement between Greece and Egypt was the opposite of the illegal, null and legally non-existent memorandum of understanding between Turkey and Tripoli. He added that after the signing of the EEZ agreement, “the non-existent memorandum between Turkey and Libya belongs from the first moment to its place, that it must be put in the trash.” His statement came hours after Greece announced it would begin exploratory talks with Turkey this month. “The agreement with Egypt is within the framework of international law, respects all concepts of international law and the law of the sea as well as good-neighbourly relations and contributes to security and stability in the region,” Dendias said. Egypt and Greece sign agreements on the exclusive economic zone. “Our agreement today confirms and guarantees the right and influence of our islands on a continental shelf and in an exclusive economic zone,” Dendias said. In a letter sent on 13 May 2020 to the UN Security Council, Libya stated that its Memorandum of Understanding with Turkey “does not affect the rights of third parties”. However, the map attached to the MoU clearly showed that the presence of Greek islands such as Crete, Rhodes and Kastellorizo and related maritime areas had been ignored.

In addition, Turkey and Libya announced plans for energy exploration in the areas mentioned in the MoU. The MoU urged Greece to quickly conclude an agreement with Egypt. The agreement between Greece and Egypt reflects a close relationship with previous delimitation agreements in the Eastern Mediterranean (e.g. B between Cyprus and Egypt, Lebanon or Israel). According to its title, it is an agreement relating to the “delimitation of the exclusive economic zone”. .