The newspaper Al-Wasat reported, on Saturday evening, that Mitsotakis presented his initiative in a speech before the Greek Parliament. The aim is to address what he described as “shared challenges arising from significant geopolitical changes in the region and the world.” He explained that the initiative proposes creating a multilateral framework “5*5”, bringing together five countries (Greece, Egypt, Libya, Turkey, and Cyprus) to discuss five main areas of cooperation, primarily the issue of migration and the delineation of exclusive economic zones in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The areas of joint cooperation include marine environmental protection, civil protection, and communication. Meanwhile, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs is examining the feasibility and potential of this framework, assessing whether it could evolve into a permanent regional mechanism.
It is noted that Libya officially lodged a diplomatic protest with the United Nations regarding Greece’s claims to maritime boundaries south and west of the island of “Crete.” On June 20th, Libya submitted a formal claim to the United Nations for areas in the Eastern Mediterranean, which Greece had previously designated for offshore hydrocarbon exploration.
The core of the dispute lies in the controversial 2019 maritime memorandum of understanding signed between Turkey and Libya, which Athens rejected, claiming it is “legally invalid under international maritime law.” The newspaper explained that Tripoli accuses Athens of “creating factual situations that harm,” describing the Greek licensing process as “an illegal and unilateral procedure without a legal basis or bilateral agreement.”
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Libya’s Government of National Unity expressed grave concern over Athens’ decision to open licensing for hydrocarbon exploration near the island of “Crete,” in areas Libya describes as “disputed.”
