In the vortex of the Libyan crisis, there is a risk that Greece and Europe’s attempt to intervene by all means to prevent a major migratory crisis, while at the same time facing Athens. Libya to promote and register on her own side, the Turquoise.
After the verbal of Libya, with which essentially It promotes its claim against Greece based on the Turkish -tilk MemorandumAthens, in addition to the response to be given by letter to the UN, is preparing for two critical contacts: his visit George Gerapetritis Tomorrow in Tripoli, which is expected to put – in addition to bilateral relations and immigration – the proposal to set up technocratic groups to resume, after 15 years of delimitation talks. At the same time, a visit to Athens is being prepared by the President of the Parliament based in Tobrouk, Akila Salehin an attempt to restore relations with Eastern Libya and preventing the potential ratification of the Turkish Memorandum by Parliament.
Tripoli’s anticipated verbal diagnosis in the UNstating its opposition to the midline that Greece has drawn up and under which the plots have been defined east and south of Crete, came to deny the expectations that there is a change of stance from Tripoli. Expectations created, as Libya on the field, in its own land, had not attempted to overlap the Greek midline.
To maps Annexed to the verbal diarrhea, Libya, for the first time, reflects in an official document to claim it against Greece, where, on the basis of the continuation of the illegal Turkoliby, the Libyan version of the midline moves north and north, ignoring the north and ignorant of the north and the north of the north and the north of the Crete, seeking to limit the Greek marine zones to just a few miles outside the territorial waters of the islands.
Libya, in this move, is trying to react to the Greek imposed one, which has not only unilaterally defined the midline based on Law 4001/2011, but also on the plots it has carved into in this context, has already entered the American ExxonMobil and is getting ready to enter Chevron.
It is obvious that Tripoli (having, as it appeared in previous weeks, and the support of the Government of O. Hamad in Benghazi) is trying to record its disagreement with the Greek midline, and without officially invoking the Turkolibyy Memorandum, it puts forward the claims.
From now on, of course, the question is whether the Democratic Government of Dbaiba It will take the next step, which would be to chart plots that overlap the Greek midline and follow the Libyan line (in the extension of the Turkish -backed boundaries) and to offer them for investigations into foreign companies, possibly Turkish. Such a move would cause a major crisis.
However, in verbalas in 2019, the Libyan side states that the difference should be resolved through negotiations. This leaves a window open for Greek side initiatives. The goal can be none other than the involvement of Libya, despite the abnormal political situation, in talks, which will aim to refer the Hague of the boundary difference.
It will be judged if Libya will torment the reconstruction pension, demanding that the Turkish -tourious memorandum be recognized, or accept the delimitation of the entire EEZ between the two countries, so the court will also be laid down. For Greece, it is also important that at this stage, the process of ratification of the Turkolibyan Memorandum is also delayed or at least delayed by parliament.
Flexible policy
On his visit to BenghaziG. Gerapetritis expressed Greece’s assessment of the attitude of General Happear, who has already rejected it in 2019, calling for his personal intervention so that there will be no developments that will burden relations with Greece, referring to the information about the possible ratification of the Memorandum.
The Greek side, in fact, proposed the immediate establishment of a joint committee of technocrats, which would examine the issue of marine zones, with respect to the law of the sea and the rights of the two countries. The issue, however, of the introduction of the Turkish -tired Memorandum on the Parliament’s agenda will be at the top of the issues of meetings that Akila Saleh will have in Athens. He will present the same proposal to the Dbaiba government on Tuesday’s visit to Tripoli tomorrow.
Following the crisis caused by the European mission, however, goodwill movements have been made from Benghazi to Athens, (With the visit of Al Sadik Haphtar to the President of the Greek Community of Benghazi, Mr. Mandalioand the meeting of Belkasem Haphtar with the Greek Consul Benghazi General, A. Kalognimi) showing, at least at this stage and despite Turkey’s openings to the side of Happear, that there is room for consultation and cooperation with Greece, while leaving the Greek. Protocol ยป.
The migratory
Very important aspect in relationships with Libya however remains the migratory. The explosive conditions prevailing in the zone of Sahel and in Sudanthe regime of lawlessness in much of the territory of southern Libya, as well as the existence of armed militia and groups across Libya, which find a new field of action and securing financial revenue through the movement of immigrants, create an extremely dangerous setting. Libya is converted into an attraction for aspiring immigrants not only from Africa but also by Asia. Who arrive in Libya following the Turkey -Egypt -Tomucian route.
The abnormal political situation in Libya, with the existence of the internationally recognized but politically legitimized Dbeyba government in western Libya, based in Tripoli (GNU-Government of National Unity), and the formation of a second government by Parliament with the support of the general Hufftar In eastern Libya, based in GNS-Government of National Stability, it creates serious difficulties for a concerted intervention with the EU contribution to stop migratory flows.
The last example of the complexity of the situation was the episode of the European Mission’s undesirable, which, after Tripoli, arrived in Benghazi for talks with General Haphtar.
The handling of the visit obviously had problems, as the Commission – justifiably – wanted to avoid movements that would give an indirect recognition of the alternative government. However, the possibilities may have been considered to use the formula under which foreign ministers and diplomatic missions in Libya meet with authorities and members of the Benghazi government, without constitutes recognition.
The official foreign interlocutor is Happere, as head of LNA (Libya National Army) and Parliament Speaker Akila Saleh, as the GNS government is not recognized internationally.
Both the EU As well as European countries that are currently “burning” to find a solution and to have a coordinated action in the migration, it is assumed that they cannot limit themselves to contacts with the Tripoli government. Each intervention must be done in collaboration with the Eastern Libyan authorities, which have control over the ground.
Athens, having to deal with At the operational level the explosion of migratory flows To Crete, it obviously did not want European intervention to be wrecked in Benghazi. All the more so, as at the meeting George Gerapetritis had with Khalifa Haphtar, there was a first understanding of cooperation, both at bilateral and European level, to tackle the problem. Now, there is concern about how this EU understanding will be restored. With eastern Libya, as there is an urgent need to take measures.
Nobody overlooks, of course, that General Happere is tool migratorywanting to secure resources through Europe and ultimately the indirect recognition of the Eastern Libyan entity, which would strengthen its position in political developments in Libya.
General Happear, imposing order in East Libya, realizes that the gathering of immigrants who do not find a passage to Europe will create an explosive climate in the area it controls, threatening to disturb internal security.
G. Gerapetritis was committed to supporting any Benghazi request to the EU, not only for maritime surveillance, but also for the creation of infrastructure on Libyan territory and intensifying controls on the southern border of Libya. He conveyed Greece’s offer to inform the authorities with data from the two frigates sailing outside the Libyan border zone for the deduction of suspicious vessels and expressed Greece’s readiness to provide support at the bilateral level.
Cooperation measures
At the meeting with General Haphtar, but also with his son, Belkasem Haphtar, who is responsible for the Reconstruction Organization, the Greek Foreign Minister had also agreed on the margins of involvement in Greek businesses in the reconstruction of Libya and had offered a package of cooperation. This included: the training of Libyan Navy executives in KENAP, scholarships in the Armed Forces and Military Medicine Productive Schools, Postgraduate Scholarships, as well as the promotion of the Benghazi -Greece airline.