On Tuesday, the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) voiced its support for the agreement to demarcate the Italian-Greek maritime borders.
In a statement, the Parliamentary Defense and National Security Committee announced the HoR’s support for the maritime delimitation agreement between Greece and Italy. The agreement was signed with the aim of establishing an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries and resolve longstanding issues over fishing rights in the Ionian Sea.
It was signed during Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio’s visit to Athens. This comes after months of tension in the eastern Mediterranean region due to conflicts over natural resources, with a complex diplomatic confrontation breaking out between Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.
Details of the agreement, which effectively extends a 1977 agreement between the two states on continental shelves in the Ionian Sea, were not immediately available. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said it confirmed the right of Greek islands in the area to maritime zones and settled fishing rights issues.