Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has affirmed that Athens is committed to building strong and balanced ties with Libya, while firmly rejecting any violation of Greece’s sovereign rights in the Mediterranean.
In an interview with Greece’s Open TV, Gerapetritis stressed that Libya remains a direct neighbor and that Greece’s primary objective is to establish excellent relations with Tripoli and Benghazi alike.
The minister explained that over the past two years, Greek diplomacy has worked to elevate relations with both western and eastern Libya, maintaining a balanced stance following the 2019 Turkish–Libyan maritime memorandum, which Athens has consistently rejected as “invalid and non-existent.”
According to Gerapetritis, Greece is now the only European country able to engage at the highest level with both Libyan authorities. His recent visits to Libya included meetings in both regions, where he was officially received by the respective leaderships.
The foreign minister underlined Greece’s determination to move forward on maritime boundary delimitation with western Libya, in accordance with international law.
He stressed that Libya is a direct neighbor of Greece, unlike Turkey, which has no opposite shores in the Mediterranean. Gerapetritis added that Libya’s recent declaration of oil concession areas was largely aligned with the Greek median line, though it also involved the rights of Egypt, Italy, and Malta.
The minister emphasized that Greece will not tolerate any infringement of its sovereign rights. “Any attempt to undermine them will be prevented,” he said, highlighting Athens’ resolve to safeguard its position in the Mediterranean.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the statements, underscoring Athens’ dual strategy of engagement with Libya and defense of its maritime interests.
