On Thursday, the Greek Parliament has ratified its maritime border demarcation agreement with Egypt. This comes amid escalating tensions with Turkey, over natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean.
The agreement was ratified with the support of a majority of MPs in the parliament. The agreement was reached between the two countries this month, with the Egyptian Parliament already ratifying it.
The agreement between Athens and Cairo has angered Turkey, which says it encroaches on its continental shelf. This agreement also overlaps with the agreement to demarcate the maritime border between Turkey and the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) signed last year.
The Egypt-Greece deal has established partial demarcation of the sea boundaries between the two countries. The remaining demarcation is due to be achieved through consultations.
Tensions rose in the eastern Mediterranean when Turkey deployed warships on August 10th, in a region over which Greece claims sovereignty. This fuelled tensions with Athens and heightened European anxiety. The European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell, called on Ankara to “immediately” stop gas exploration activities in the Mediterranean.