Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis announced on Tuesday that Athens intends to establish a roadmap for discussions with Libya on the delimitation of maritime zones by the end of 2025.
Speaking in an interview with Parapolitika radio, Gerapetritis said Greece is pursuing a “multidimensional and balanced policy” toward Libya, stressing the importance of dialogue to counter the contested Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
“The more we cooperate, the more we prevent the ratification of the Turkish–Libyan memorandum,” he noted, adding that while he does not foresee imminent ratification, Greece remains “on alert.”
He underlined that the memorandum is “null and void,” arguing that even parliamentary ratification in Libya would not make it legal, since “Turkey and Libya are not neighbouring states, as Greece and Libya are.”
Acknowledging the complexity of Libya’s divided political landscape, Gerapetritis said Athens is maintaining relations with both the eastern and western governments. He added that Greece has never abandoned ties with General Khalifa Haftar’s administration and has sought to re-engage with authorities in western Libya as well.
According to the foreign minister, Greece is currently the only EU member state holding top-level talks with all Libyan factions. He highlighted that irregular migration flows from Libya toward Greece have significantly decreased in recent months, calling this proof of effective engagement.
Energy Interconnection with Cyprus and Israel
Turning to energy cooperation, Gerapetritis reiterated Greece’s commitment to the planned electrical interconnection linking Greece, Cyprus and eventually Israel — a project he described as “strategically vital,” particularly for Cyprus in ending its energy isolation.
“Greece has been, from the beginning, not just an assistant, but a promoter of this project,” he said, stressing that both he and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have made clear their determination to see it completed.
He acknowledged recent financial and technical concerns regarding the project’s viability but said Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides reaffirmed its strategic importance. “To the extent that certain issues are resolved, the project will proceed in collaboration with the company responsible for its planning in the immediate future,” Gerapetritis concluded.
