CAIRO/ATHENS/TRIPOLI,— Foreign ministers of Egypt and Greece held talks in Cairo on Sunday, following a recent oil and gas exploration deals signed between Türkiye and the Libyan Government of National Unity.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias described the deal as a “threat to regional stability,” stressing that achieving stability in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean region is one of the “strategic goals” for both Greece and Egypt.

He urged for holding the Libyan elections as soon as possible to maintain Libya’s stability and territorial integrity, adding “Greece supports the efforts to pave the way for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.”

“The outgoing unity government in Tripoli doesn’t have the authority to conclude any international agreements or memoranda of understanding,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said, adding the Libyan Government of National Unity came through a UN-approved roadmap by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum with a specific mission and term to hold the Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, 2021, which it failed to do.

Libya has been divided into two rival administrations since March, when the eastern-based House of Representatives, or the parliament, appointed Fathi Bashagha as prime minister while Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah refused to step down, saying he would only hand over office to an elected government.

Dbeibah’s administration signed with Türkiye earlier this month a memorandum of understanding that allows Türkiye to explore oil and gas fields in some areas of the eastern Mediterranean, over which Greece claims to have sovereignty.

Libya has been suffering political instability and chaos ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.

The top Egyptian diplomat called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to “take a firm position regarding the illegitimacy of the outgoing Libyan government” given that the GNU stemmed from an agreement drafted and adopted by the UN.

“The UN should not remain silent regarding the full and honest implementation of what it has adopted and drafted,” Shoukry said.

He added that the UN-overseen Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), from which the GNU stemmed, tasked the Tripoli-based government with ending the transitional period by holding elections, which were set to be held on 24 December 2021.

“This is a responsibility that [the GNU] did not fulfill,” Shoukry said.

He stressed that the mandate of the Libyan GNU ended on 22 June after the end of an 18-month period granted for the GNU in this regard as per the UN-overseen agreement.

Libyan political forces and numerous countries have denounced the deals signed by Ankara and the Tripoli-based government, one of two rival governments in Libya. The European Union said the energy deals signed in this regard infringe on the sovereign rights of third states and is not in line with the UN Law of the Sea.

However, Libyan PM Dbeibah defended the deals, saying they will help Libya continue exploring for oil in its territorial waters in cooperation with other states amid sharp growth in global demand for gas.

During the press conference, Greek FM Dendias denounced the deals as violating the UN-led LPDF, asserting that they harm the Libyan state.

“The Government of National Unity cannot, I repeat, cannot enter into any international agreement in a manner that harms the stability of foreign relations of the Libyan State,” Dendias said.

The Greek FM said the mandate of the Libyan GNU has expired and therefore it does not represent the Libyan people.

“Said government does not have any competence to review or implement previous agreements regarding the future of Libya’s external relations,” Dendias stated.

The Greek FM accused Turkey of trying to “take advantage of the turbulent situation in Libya in order to further destabilise the Mediterranean region and establish a regional hegemony.”

Greece had earlier condemned last week’s deals, stressing that any measures that aim to implement the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime demarcation agreement are illegal.

Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have also rejected Turkey’s oil explorations in recent years inside Cypriot territorial waters, deeming them “unlawful and unacceptable.”

During today’s presser, Shoukry said he and Dendias highlighted during their Cairo meeting their commitment to the “fundamental” agreement for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) signed by the two countries in 2020.

“The [2020 deal] complies with international law, has multiple economic benefits for our two countries, and contributes to creating positive cooperation atmospheres in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Shoukry said.

In this regard, Dendias affirmed Greece’s determination and obligation to defend the sovereign rights of Egypt and Greece under their 2020 deal.

Egypt, Greece and Cyprus are members of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), an eight-state economic organisation that aims to maximise use of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Source: Nam News Network