The ‘envelope Libya“Athens is trying to open again, as the neighboring country of North Africa is the big” black hole “not only for the security of the region but also for Greek foreign policy since 2019 when the country’s provisional government signed the country. Turquoise with the Erdogan government.
Before it becomes known that In eastern Libya the House will examine the Memorandum with the question of its ratificationa plan to restore communication channels had already been formed in Athens, both with the DBABBA government in Tripoli and with the two powerful power factors in eastern Libya: Parliament President Akila Saleh and General Happere.
There had even been an intensive diplomatic preparation (Greek Ambassador N. GARILIDIS met last week with the Libyan Foreign Minister) so that the Foreign Minister’s visit would take place in June, in June. George Gerapetritis In Tripoli, in a first high -level contact Following the visit of Kyriakos Mitsotakis and then Foreign Minister Nikos Dendia In the Libyan capital in April 2021.
Since then it has intervened The Dendia Episode Visit in November 2022when he refused to meet with his Libya counterpart at Tripoli Airport, where he had arrived to meet with Presidential Council President M. Menfi, as the foreign minister was the one who had signed a memorandum with Turkey for the exploitation of the country. THE Mr. Dendias then flew to Tombrouk, where he met with Akila Salehwith relationships since then continuing to be essentially frozen.
In 2019, when Athens was taken aback (though the messages came months before) by the Turquoisehe found the first supports in the denial of this unprecedented effort to usurp the Greek continental shelf in Egypt, but also at the beginning of Eastern Libya, which for reasons and internal reasons opposed the Memorandum. Indeed, the fact that the Turkolibyyan memorandum had been signed by a government that did not have the authorization and, in particular, that it was not ratified by the Tobruk House was one of the arguments for the invalidity of the Memorandum, except of course the glaring violations of its authorities.
After the episode of 2022, relations with Tripoli remained frozen, while relations with eastern Libya were completely denying.
The Visit of the son of Haphtar
On Monday it became known that Benghazi was requested by Vengazis for private jet linked to family Happy. Diploma had been informed that the son of General Haftar was going to come to Athens for 24 hours for a private visit, as his family vacationed and would continue for another destination. But he was perhaps the most ‘silver’ of the six children of General Happy, Al -Sandikwho deals with agricultural businesses. And of course, despite what was written, there was no official contact in Athens.
The critical relationships
The fact that Libya is a neighboring country and elementary understanding is necessary not only for managing their issues zonebut also migratoryas it has now become the first gate of exit of illegal immigration to Greece, it requires the restoration of communication channels.
Much more when, at this stage, Libya is in absolute need to support her Europeand therefore there is a powerful tool in the hands of the Greek government. OR GreeceAlso, as a non -permanent member of the UN Security Council, it has a crucial role in the decisions of the Libya Council, where the UN envoy is expected to be approved in the coming days, which provides for a comprehensive plan to resolve the political crisis in the country.
THE George Gerapetritis It will have an extremely difficult mission since security conditions in the country, which have deteriorated in recent weeks, allow the visit to be made, as it will have to balance between Tripoli and Tobruk.
The last move on the part of the House to set up a special committee to examine the Turkolibyan Memorandum It is estimated that it is a warning message to Athens, but also a lure to Ankara. But it also reveals the depth of Turkish penetration in Libya, which is no longer limited to the government of Tripoli, but has also taken steps on the other side.
Turkey
Methodically over the past two years, the Turkey He has restored relations with both A. Saleh and General Happere, who have visited Ankara. He reopened a Turkish consulate in Benghazi and as soon as the son of General Happere, head of the Libyan liberation army, was accepted by his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler.
In recent months, there have been steps of approach and of the American With the Happear side, despite the fact that he maintains close ties with Moscow. At the same time, Cairo has also begun official contacts with the DBABBA government, which it previously did not recognize, however maintaining a strong influence on eastern Libya.
A visit to a Greek Foreign Minister to Tripoli should be combined with a visit to Eastern Libya, so that Greece is not considered to be a “camp” in this implicit (at this time) civil war in Libya. The practice followed by other visits of foreign officials is combined visits to both Tripoli and Benghazi-Al Kuba.
Although internal developments in Libya are unpredictable and the path to restoring smoothness and hold elections to bring about a legal and representative government is long, Athens must seek the opportunity to not only set a framework for cooperation for the immigration, but in which Europe will be involved, but sea zones.
Now … we’re running
The Libyan government, with the latest landmarking of land for licensing, followed the midfield that Greece had unilaterally designated by the Maniatis Law and showed no intention of questioning it or claiming its “Greek continent” section.
Nor was there a special reaction when the licensing of the two plots south of Crete was announced, which also follow the Greek midfield, overlapping areas of the Turkish-Libyan Memorandum on the Libyan side. Also, Egypt, in its controversy with Libya over its demarcation between them, rejected the Libyan delimitation line, which follows the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, thus creating a de facto state that favors Greek positions.
Libya, in the letters he had deposited in UN Following the reactions of Athens to the Turkish-Libyan Memorandum (letters 2019 and 2020), he had, among other things, expressed the intention of launching negotiations with Greece on the demarcation of the EEZ. This public commitment of Tripoli to the UN should not be left untouched by Athens, and even if the DBABBA government is temporary and challenged, its commitment to launch preliminary encounters.
Aiming, if it does not work, then the process of referring the dispute to The Hague continues, where Libya has already appealed twice (Malta and Tunisia demarcation).
But for these initiatives, if conditions allow, it is necessary to have information and understanding with the East Libyaso as not to be considered that Greece is taking part of Dbaba in the internal conflict, and to make it clear that Greece wants to speak institutionally with the neighboring country.
Otherwise, there will be the risk of a haftht -Saleh -sided -by -side, which have already restored their relationship with Ankara.
East Libya is also the one that has a crucial role in addressing immigration, as the “ghost ships” start with hundreds of immigrants from Central Africa and Egypt to Crete.