[InTime News]
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on Friday reiterated Greece’s firm rejection of the 2019 Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum during talks in Athens with Aguila Saleh, president of Libya’s Benghazi-based House of Representatives.
Gerapetritis, during the meeting, stressed that the memorandum – which disregards Greek islands and their maritime zones, subsequently violating international maritime law – is also rejected by the European Union, according to diplomatic sources.
The Benghazi-based parliament has never ratified the deal signed between Ankara and the Tripoli government.
During Friday’s talks, Gerapetritis and Saleh noted the long-standing ties between Greece and Libya, emphasizing that the countries’ close proximity makes continued, sincere dialogue and cooperation essential.
Gerapetritis also underlined Greece’s role as both an EU member state and an elected member of the UN Security Council, saying Athens supports a definitive political settlement in Libya through free and fair elections without external interference, leading to a representative government.
Libya remains divided between rival administrations following the civil conflict that erupted after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.