Libya’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ageela Saleh, has reaffirmed that no maritime agreement affecting the country’s sovereignty is legally valid unless the Libyan parliament formally approves it.
He stressed that the authority to ratify international treaties, particularly those related to maritime boundaries, lies exclusively with the House of Representatives, and any agreement concluded outside this constitutional framework has no legal effect.
In remarks to the Libyan News Agency, Saleh said that parliament would not accept the imposition of any maritime agreement on Libya without legislative approval.
He reiterated that the 2019 maritime memorandum signed between Turkey and the former Government of National Accord headed by Fayez al-Sarraj lacks legitimacy, arguing that the government at the time had not received parliamentary confidence and therefore had no constitutional mandate to sign binding international agreements.
Saleh emphasized that the agreement was never submitted to the House of Representatives for ratification, making all actions based on it legally void.
He added that this position is well understood by the international community, even if some states have chosen to deal with the agreement for political reasons rather than legal ones. He noted that constitutional legitimacy remains constant regardless of changes in governments.
The Speaker explained that international reactions to the deal have varied, with some countries recognizing its lack of legality while others have treated it as a political reality.
He pointed to recent signals from Greece expressing willingness to engage in dialogue, while noting that Egypt’s position has been clear from the outset in rejecting the agreement due to its impact on regional stability. Saleh also said Turkey has expressed readiness to enter broader negotiations with Libya.
The Parliament Speaker underlined that Libya is not opposed to signing maritime agreements with any country, including Turkey, provided they are concluded by a legitimate government endorsed by parliament.
Any such agreement, he said, must be based on detailed technical studies prepared by specialists and then submitted to the House of Representatives for approval after Libya’s maritime boundaries are clearly defined.
Addressing maritime delimitation, Saleh criticized attempts to rely on islands near Libya’s coast, such as Crete, to expand exclusive economic zones at Libya’s expense, stating that international law does not support such interpretations. He confirmed that specialized committees have been tasked with preparing comprehensive technical and geopolitical assessments.
Saleh concluded by stressing that Libya is a sovereign state that rejects alignment with regional blocs and considers its maritime borders a non-negotiable red line.
