Greece remains wary of mounting instability in Libya, as unconfirmed reports suggest the Libyan parliament in Benghazi may be preparing to ratify the illegal 2019 maritime accord with Turkey. The agreement, long rejected by Athens, defines maritime boundaries that overlap with Greece’s exclusive economic zones.
A session of Libya’s House of Representatives, scheduled in Benghazi to approve the national budget, was postponed again Tuesday. The session had already been delayed due to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh allegedly blocking travel of MPs from Tripoli. Tuesday’s delay was officially attributed to the late distribution of the draft budget.
These developments reflect Libya’s entrenched institutional divide. On Sunday, four judges were sworn in before the Benghazi-based parliament to serve in a new constitutional court in eastern Libya. Tripoli’s High Council of State condemned the move as illegitimate and declared the court unconstitutional, underscoring the ongoing power struggle between the two administrations.
In parallel, Greece submitted a formal response to the UN in New York, rejecting Tripoli’s June 20 diplomatic note, which had protested Greece’s granting of offshore blocks southwest of Crete to Chevron. Athens reaffirmed its maritime rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and cited agreements with Egypt and Italy.
Meanwhile, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) signed a memorandum of cooperation with ExxonMobil in London, signaling the American energy company’s return after a decade-long absence. The agreement allows exploration in four offshore blocks along Libya’s northwest coast and the Gulf of Sirte – areas distant from Greek waters.
The ExxonMobil deal marks a notable energy development amid Libya’s internal divisions and underscores Greece’s concern over the evolving regional dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Photo: Greece Navy
Via ekathimerini
