Egypt, Bahrain, and UAE Support Greece Against Turkey-Libya Maritime Memorandum

Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates signed a joint statement with Greece at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday, opposing the maritime boundary agreement concluded between Turkey and Libya in 2019, following the ratification of the agreement by Libya's eastern House of Representatives on October 20, 2019.

Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Katrougalos announced the statement on behalf of the four countries, expressing deep concern over the agreement's repercussions for regional security and stability. The signatories emphasized that undermining established rules of international law through bilateral agreements could set a dangerous precedent.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded on Monday to European criticism and criticism from other parties, asserting that the agreement falls within maritime sovereignty rights based on international law. In contrast, Greece maintains that the agreement violates the rights of the island of Crete in its maritime zones.

The dispute is linked to energy exploration activities; Athens, following the signing of the memorandum in 2019, granted licenses for natural gas exploration off Crete to a consortium led by American company Chevron. Katrougalos expressed Greece's readiness to continue efforts to conclude a separate maritime agreement with Libya, and called on Libya to develop good relations with its neighbors and act in accordance with the provisions of the law of the sea.