Egypt rejects maritime deal ratified by Libyan parliament
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily News Egypt
Egypt rejects the Libyan parliament’s ratification of a 2019 maritime agreement between Libya and Türkiye, saying it does not alter its legal position and infringes on its maritime rights. Egypt’s foreign ministry considers the memorandum null and contrary to international law of the sea, according to its statement.
Egypt on Wednesday rejected the Libyan parliament’s ratification of a maritime memorandum concluded in 2019 between Libya and Türkiye. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ratification had no legal effect on Cairo and reiterated that it considered the agreement “absolutely null and void”.
The ministry said the memorandum infringed on Egypt’s sovereign rights, which it claims in its exclusive economic zone and on its continental shelf. It also said the agreement contravened international maritime law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which governs, among other things, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.
Libya’s parliament, based in the east of the country, unanimously approved the agreement on Tuesday, reversing its previous opposition. It also repealed two 2020 decisions rejecting agreements concluded with Ankara and severing political relations with Türkiye. Libya remains divided between rival administrations in the east and west.
The agreement defines maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean, a region where several countries dispute borders and energy exploration rights. Greece, which also rejected the memorandum when it was signed in 2019, condemned its approval by the Libyan parliament this week, saying it violated international law and regional sovereign rights.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
