What meetings did the foreign minister
The Minister of Foreign Affairs had separate meetings, George Gerapetritis, With Libyan Presidential Council President Mohammed Menfi, the Prime Minister of the Libyan National Unity Government (GNU), Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, as well as the Foreign Minister Taher Al Baour, today in Tripoli.
Both sides talked about Greece-Libya historical relations and agreed that Common Geography required cooperation and honest dialogue. Greek Foreign Minister and Libyan officials had the opportunity to express their positions on all issues related to bilateral relations, also exchanging opinions on complex issues such as immigration and demarcation of marine zones.
Regarding the rapid increase in migratory flows, the Greek Foreign Minister presented the current situation our country is facing, with flows from Tobrouk to Crete, in the midst of a tourist season, and stressed that it is important not to consolidate a new migratory route.
Both agreed that there should be consultation on the control of land and maritime borders, and the Libyan side called for Greece’s help, both at the bilateral level and within the EU and the United Nations Security Council.
On the issue of maritime zone demarcation, the Foreign Minister stressed that Greece seeks to resolve any such issue with its neighboring countries, in accordance with international sea law.
It was agreed to read the readiness of Greece and Libya, as states with object coasts, to discuss EEZ delineation in the near future.
Concerning the call for a tender for hydrocarbon mining investigations on two maritime plots south of Crete, the Greek Foreign Minister emphasized that Greece exercises its sovereign rights under international law and does not act at the expense of third parties.
Mr Gerapetritis expressed Greece’s pursuit of bilateral relations with Tripoli, with an emphasis on the economy and investment. Libya is considered an important commercial partner of Greece, so that additional areas of cooperation were investigated in the fields of energy, construction and transport.
The successive visits of Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis to Benghazi (06.07) and Tripoli (15.07) of Libya are valued as highly constructive and satisfactory and are estimated to have created a positive dynamic in Greece – Libya.