By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Greece briefed UN Security Council members on October 21 about Libya's approval of its 2019 maritime agreement with Türkiye, according to Greek diplomatic sources. In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas raised the same deal with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Greek Ambassador Aglaia Balta raised the issue during closed consultations under "Any Other Business," following instructions from Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. She warned of risks to stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece holds the Council's rotating presidency in October.
No Security Council resolution or presidential statement on the memorandum was announced. No public account of the closed discussion was available.
Kallas raises maritime pact with Fidan
Kallas said after the meeting that she had raised Libya's vote with Fidan and stressed that the memorandum infringes the sovereign rights of third states. The EU maintains that the agreement cannot have legal consequences for countries outside it.
The exchange followed EU leaders' rejection of the parliamentary vote. The European Commission said it was assessing the implications with member states. No new measures were announced.
Fidan defended the agreement in Brussels, calling it legitimate on legal and political grounds. Ankara has regarded the memorandum as valid since 2019 and maintains that it reflects the principle of equity in maritime delimitation.
Egypt and Israel reject Libya's vote
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said on October 21 that the parliamentary vote could not affect Cairo's maritime rights. It argues that the agreement encroaches on Egypt's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and opposes activities conflicting with its declared boundaries.
Israel's Foreign Ministry also condemned the vote. It said the agreement infringed the sovereign rights of close regional allies and accused Türkiye of destabilizing the Eastern Mediterranean. The statement did not claim that Israel's own maritime boundary had been crossed.
Gerapetritis said Athens would mobilize diplomatic and European channels to oppose implementation.
Libya's eastern parliament reverses course
Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives unanimously approved the 2019 memorandum on October 20 after years of opposition. It also repealed two decisions from 2020: one rejecting ratification of agreements with Türkiye, the other severing political relations with Ankara.
The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity welcomed the vote. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised the decision, while Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş spoke with Libya's newly elected parliamentary speaker. Kurtulmuş said Ankara wanted closer relations with both eastern and western Libya.
UN treaty records show that the memorandum was signed in November 2019 and entered into force that December. The eastern parliament's reversal leaves competing maritime claims involving Greece and Egypt unresolved.
Sources: Greek diplomatic sources cited by AMNA, eKathimerini and News247, United Nations Security Council, European Council, European Commission, Kaja Kallas's public statement, Türkiye's Foreign Ministry, Egypt's Foreign Ministry, Israel's Foreign Ministry, Libyan House of Representatives, Libyan News Agency, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, UN Treaty Collection, Reuters, Bosphorus News review and reporting.