Athens reiterated its steady position against Libya’s unilateral claims through diplomatic sources on the occasion of Verbal Declaration of the Libyan National Unity Government to the United Nations, dated June 20, 2025. The official announcement of Greece’s positions will be sent to the UN in response to this Declaration concerning the Greek call for research south of Crete.
The same sources emphasize that Tripoli’s trolley “does not add anything new to the arguments already formulated”, noting that Athens rejects “any action or action based on invalid and non -existent agreements, without any basis in international law”. The report relates to the illegal Turkish -troop memorandum, which Greece considers legally non -existent and contrary to current international law.
Concerning the pending issue of the demarcation of exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries, Greece points out that it remains ready to continue discussions as soon as conditions allow. “Greece, as a genuine neighboring country, has expressed its readiness to continue discussions under international sea law, as the Libyan side also concludes,” he said.
In detail the diplomatic sources of Athens:
“The June 20th of the Libyan National Unity Government to the UN for the announcement of land from Greece, south of Crete, does not add anything to the already formulated arguments. There will be an official response to the UN on behalf of Greece.
Greece rejects any action or action based on invalid and non -existent agreements, without any basis in international sea law.
Regarding the pending bilateral issue of the demarcation of an exclusive economic zone with Libya, Greece, as a genuine neighboring country, has expressed its readiness to continue discussions under international sea law, as the Libyan side also arises.
No reaction will discourage the Greek government from exercising, with responsibility and in practice, the country’s sovereign rights. “
What did Libya’s verbal decoration say
It is recalled that earlier with its verbalization in the UN, the Libya directly challenges the midline the Greece and under which the Plots, not only west but also south of Crete, and which were offered for licensing investigations. For the first time, however, it reflects in a formal document its claim against our country, based on it Turkolibyan memorandum.
To the maps attached to the Verbal Tripoliimprinted on the bound line adopted by Libya As a follow -up to the Turkish -skinned Memorandum, which essentially eliminates the Greek EEZ south of Crete.
Although in the Libyan verbal diasted on June 20th and published on July 3 A/79/860 in the UN) it is stated that these areas are “subject of the unresolved difference between Libya and Greece” in the same text, they are characterized as “Libyan Sea” and it is noted that the Greek land is noted that Libya’s interests, which are “not acceptable”.
Accuses Greece of “breach of international law”
OR Tripoli, In the verbal decoration, he accuses Greece of energy which “is a serious violation of international law, in particular its provisions. United Nations Convention on Sea Law, And it undermines the principles of mutual respect and peaceful resolution of disputes “and calls on the international community, led by the United Nations,” to fulfill its responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the Mediterranean region and to discourage any action that could lead to escalation “.
See HERE the entire Libyan verbal decoration
Of course, the Tripoli It relies on international law and calls for avoiding committed, at the same time citing the “sovereign rights” attributed to it by the illegal and completely opposite to the law of the Turkish Tourcolibyan Memorandum.
In her report Libyan State Petroleum Companyattached to verbal decoration, there is even talk of breach of it ‘Boundary line’, which is essentially the extension of the Libyan side of the “demarcation” of the illegal Turkolibyan memorandum.
The consequences of Libyan claim
Since 2019, when signed between government Erdogan and the government Alba the Turkolibyyan memorandum, Turkey has rushed by 2020 to capture it on a map and preach Turkish EEZ based on the Memorandum, thus setting the boundaries of the “blue homeland”, while Libya has not proceeded with a corresponding EEZ declaration. With the verbal decoration, it is the first time that Libyan claim has been imprinted on a map (with a dotted line), which deprives not only of the small Greek islands, but also limits significantly, to annihilation, the influence and of Crete itself to Sea zones.
The verbal decoration also denies the premature estimates that were formulated in Athens That Libya, with the degradation of its own land, “respects” and “accepts” the Greek midline as reflected under Law 4001/2011.
However, in this verbal decoration, Tripoli states that the difference must be resolved through constructive dialogue and negotiations. And this, once the dispute is officially found, facilitates the manipulations of Athens, which systematically calls for the start of negotiations, which, if not results, should end up referring the dispute to the Hague, where the court should de facto rule on its law.
Already the Foreign Minister G. Gerapetritis It has proposed to the Eastern Libyan side to set up technocratic groups to begin the negotiations and will also submit to the Tripoli government during a visit scheduled for Tuesday.
Libyan verbal diagnosis in the UN and the annex
The Libyan verbal diagnosis at the UN and the Annex to the NOC report is as follows:
‘A verbal decoration dated June 20th 2025 by the Libyan Permanent Representation to the United Nations to the Secretary General
The permanent delegation of the Libyan state in the United Nations has the honor of expressing the deep concern of the National Unity Government about recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The government has been aware, with deep discontent, of the content of the issue no. 3335 of the official newspaper of the European Union, dated June 12, 2025 (see Annex II),* which states that the Hellenic Republic has announced an international competition for the granting of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation licenses in sea areas south of Crete.
These areas fall within marine zones that remain an unresolved difference between Libya and Greece.
The government of the Libyan state sees this action as a clear violation of its sovereign rights and as a unilateral action without any legal basis or bilateral agreement. It is a serious violation of international law, in particular the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and undermines the principles of mutual respect and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Consequently, Libya officially and categorically records its opposition to this initiative and calls on strict dedication to the principles that are guaranteed on the United Nations Charter and the relevant international legal texts governing the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes.
Libya reaffirms its steady commitment to constructive dialogue and negotiation, and categorically rejects any attempt to impose committed in areas where no legal agreement has been reached.
The government calls on the international community – led by the United Nations – to fulfill its responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the Mediterranean region and discourage any action that could lead to escalation.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time the government of Greece has granted exploration licenses to areas within the maritime boundaries of Libya. Previous licenses were granted to French company Total and American ExxonMobil. The latter then acquired Total’s share and carried out research activities, including two -dimensional seismic research (2D) in 2022 and 3D (3D) in 2024, followed by an announcement of intention to drill research drilling.
In the light of the foregoing, the permanent delegation of the Libyan State at the UN seeks with respect to the circulation of this verbal release and its branches as a document of the General Assembly, on the subject 75 of the agenda.
Annex I to the verbal decoration of June 20th 2025 of the Libyan Permanent Representation to the UN to the Secretary General
Report of the National Oil Corporation on Greece’s contribution to Libya’s submerged plots of plots
June 17 2025
• On June 13, 2025, the government of Greece announced an international competition for the granting of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in specific offshore areas south of the Peloponnese and the island of Crete. This means that the 90 -day deadline for submitting bids began from that date.
• This announcement comes after an expression of interest by Chevron in March 2025, for exploration of hydrocarbons in offshore areas south of Crete 1 and Crete 2 (map 1),* within the areas specified in the 2014 international competition.
• Two of the announced areas, Crete 1 and Crete 2, are geographically located within the Libyan marine areas (on which the two countries maintain different claims). The total area of the two areas is 23,300 km² and over 85% of this area is south of the Libya demarcation line from its neighboring Greece.
• It is worth noting that the government of Greece has granted two plots within the Libyan maritime border to Total and Exxonmobil (map 2). Conduct research drilling.