Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis held talks with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, to discuss the latest political and security developments in Libya, according to a statement released by Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, which took place while Gerapetritis was visiting New York, the Greek foreign minister briefed Guterres on issues raised during his recent contacts with Libyan stakeholders. He confirmed that Greece maintains active communication “with both sides in Libya” and welcomed ongoing discussions aimed at reaching a political solution, describing them as a positive and significant step toward stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In mid-July last year, Gerapetritis held meetings in Tripoli with Mohamed Al‑Mnifi, Abdel‑Hamid Dbaiba, and Libya’s acting foreign minister Taher Al-Baour. Those talks came amid heightened tensions between Athens and Tripoli.
The diplomatic strain escalated after Libya submitted a memorandum to the United Nations objecting to Greece’s maritime boundary delineation south of the island of Crete. Despite the dispute, discussions at the time focused on advancing bilateral relations and stressing the importance of sustained dialogue, respect for national sovereignty, and the pursuit of mutual interests.
Greece continues to oppose the Libya-Türkiye maritime delimitation agreement signed in November 2019. This position was most recently reiterated by Greek Parliament Speaker Nikitas Kaklamanis, who urged Aqeela Saleh during a meeting in Athens on December 2 to refrain from ratifying the agreement and to annul it during a second phase.
That call was strongly rejected by Osama Hammad, who condemned the remarks as an attempt by Greek authorities to impose dictates on Libya’s legislative branch. Hammad also accused Greece of seeking to subordinate Libyan decision-making to the will of donor states and international financial institutions.