On Thursday, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell criticized the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Turkey and Libya to explore hydrocarbons, according to diplomatic sources.
Borrell sent a letter to Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, in which he “condemned in the most absolute way the MoU,” adding that “the position of the European Union is absolutely clear,” sources said. He also referred to an official EU statement made in December 2019, after the signing of the agreement.
He noted that he will “continue to defend this position whenever necessary,” and concluded his letter to the minister by assuring him of the “European Union’s solidarity with all its member-states, and its continued support for the issue.”
Borrell’s reply was in response to a letter sent to him by Dendias, after he visited eastern Libya on 17 November, the same sources noted.
In November, Borrell said the MoU signed by Turkey and Libya violated the sovereign rights of third countries.
“The MoU does not comply with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and cannot generate legal consequences for third countries,” Borrell replied to New Democracy MEP, Manolis Kefaloyiannis.
In October, Libya and Turkey signed a series of economic agreements that included potential energy exploration in maritime areas.
The agreements will allow for oil and gas exploration in Libyan waters and come three years after the two countries signed a maritime border deal, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said after signing the MoU in Tripoli.
Greece notified the UN Secretary-General that the current Libyan government in Tripoli has no right to proceed with any agreement that binds subsequent, democratically elected governments.
During a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry in October, Dendias accused Turkey of exploiting “the turbulent situation in Libya to further destabilize security in the Mediterranean region, and establish a regional hegemony.”
