EU criticizes Turkey-Libya energy deal

In a statement obtained by “Sky News Arabia”, the European Union said that it “has taken note of reports indicating that Turkey and the Libyan unity government have signed an agreement on hydrocarbon resources on the basis of the 2019 Turkish-Libyan Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime areas in The Mediterranean Sea”.

The Union explained that it had previously announced its position on this memorandum by the European Council in December 2019, and this position has not changed so far, that the Turkish-Libyan memorandum of understanding for the year 2019 violates the sovereign rights of third countries, and does not comply with the Law of the Sea.

He stressed that the memorandum of understanding “cannot have any legal consequences for third countries.”

He called on the European Union to “avoid actions that could undermine regional stability,” and demanded more clarification on the content of those new agreements.

It was not immediately clear whether any projects would in fact appear that involved drilling in the “exclusive economic zone”.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Manqush said at a ceremony in Tripoli that the deal was one of several agreements within a memorandum of understanding on economic issues aimed at benefiting both countries.

This comes at a time when the government appointed by Parliament rejected the agreement, saying in a statement that it “will begin direct consultation with national, regional and international partners, to respond appropriately to these abuses that threaten the interest of security and peace in Libya and the region.”

regional positions

• Greek Foreign Ministry: Athens has sovereign rights in the area that it intends to defend “by all legal means with full respect for the international law of the sea.”
• The 2020 agreement between Athens and Egypt defines their exclusive economic zones in the eastern Mediterranean, and Greek diplomats said that this agreement effectively nullified the 2019 agreement between Turkey and Libya.
• Egypt and Greece: “The outgoing unity government in Tripoli does not have the authority to conclude any international agreements or memoranda of understanding.”
• Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh: The memorandum of understanding is illegal as it was signed by a government without a mandate.